Seeing People. Loving People.

My uncle passed away when I was 13 years old. He was a pretty special person in my life and the impact that he made—in only the short time that I knew him—is still in my heart to this day. My grandma—shortly after my uncle was born—was told that he would never live past the age of 5 years old. Nevertheless, he lived to be 45 years old before he passed away.

The main lesson that this taught me was about the value in loving people, especially people that may be different than me.

You see, my uncle was unable to walk or talk. He had to have someone care for him 24/7 and couldn’t do even the simplest tasks, like eating on his own. Although, my uncle couldn’t do a lot of things, there was one thing he could do— something that trumps being able to do anything else: love well.

My uncle knew how to love.

You could see it across his face and hear it in his laugh when something brought him joy.

I remember, when I was just a little girl, how the caretakers at the home that took care of my uncle would bring him to church. He would sit in the back of the room, and as the music started, the smile that came across his face was one of the most precious things in the world. He loved music; He loved to worship.

He loved simple things, too, like marshmallow peeps. (Side note: those things are gross.) My uncle would love when someone would hold his hand and talk to him. I never knew if he understood what we were saying to him, but the entire time he would smile.

My uncle was different from me in so many ways and yet at the heart he was the same.

One of my favorite quotes and one thing that I try to remember every day is:

“When you look at a person, any person, remember that everyone has a story.”

Every single one of us is different and no two people are the same. Even twins have different hobbies, interests, and personalities. God has uniquely designed and crafted us to all look different and to be unique. Our bodies, appearances, and personalities are each individually and uniquely crafted.

Yet, at the very heart of it, we are all the same because God uniquely designed us, called us as His own, and loves us.

When you see someone who may be “different” than you, my challenge is that you would be reminded to see them the way that God sees them. See them as a child of God and take time to get to know their story.

I challenge you to take it a step further and to be the hands and feet of Jesus, finding ways to care for others.

That is why it is so important that we teach our kids to love others, to look past their differences, and to see the hearts of those around them. The way we can do this is by getting out of our comfort zone and modeling it to our kids. Get involved in the community and serve.

Meet people where they are at and don't wait for them to come to you.

Show compassion to others, and don't judge. Don’t just walk by people but take the time to stop and listen. Daily, we must make the choice in our encounters to share love and kindness with everyone.