I am daily reminded that people are often like gifts set out waiting to be opened. The packaging looks very nice. It is neat and tidy, but no one really knows what is inside.
I know a few who try to guess what is inside gifts. They shake it or judge its contents by the shape of the box, but they really don't know what they will find until they open it.
My daughters are some of these snoopy people. For as long as I remember I have kept their names off their Christmas gifts so they won't snoop. If they knew who the gift belonged to, they guessed what was inside long before it was time to open it. One year each girl had a different wrapping paper. Another year they had a specific color of ribbon. The girls have gotten wiser to my tricks; now I write actual codes on the packages which they spend weeks trying to decode. Regardless of how much figuring and thinking and discussing and hypothesizing, they don't come close to guessing whose gifts are whose and they don't know what is inside until they open them.
I have met a number people that, by all appearances, look like they have everything together. They look like their lives are simple and easy and perhaps even perfect. It only takes a few minutes of conversation with them to quickly learn their lives are just as messy as mine, sometimes messier. They have their own mountains and valleys and sandpits and winding, difficult trails. They put on their strong faces and compassionate smiles and venture through their day in peace disguising the difficult journey from everyone who tries to glance at their packaging and guess their story.
It is only the person who spends some time in real conversation who is rewarded and sees what is truly inside this person. I recently had a conversation with an absolutely beautiful lady. She is kind and sweet and very patient. I didn't know her well, I just saw her in passing and spoke to her about work for a minute or two at a time. One day we had a regular conversation without our work masks. It only took a few minutes and I discovered this woman was gorgeous on the inside too. She had such an amazing attitude as she ventured through the difficulties life was throwing at her. She took steps to create a path of success for herself. She found ways to make her life fit into her needs rather than forcing herself to mold to the circumstances life was throwing at her. She took action and stood up to her difficulties with bravery and confidence she will make it through this season.
Once I took the wrapping paper off, I found a package inside that I hadn't expected. That conversation has stayed with me. I love the reminder that we can't judge people by what we see on the outside. Sometimes their actions aren't even a good standard to judge what is inside.
People with illnesses deal with this every day. They put on their strong faces and move through their life because that is what they are supposed to do. They are judged based on their strong stances. People think they are okay. People have no idea the battle going on inside, they have no idea what they have overcome or are working to overcome.
On the other side of cancer, I was determined to see people beyond their wrapping paper, but at the same time I was aware people would continue to look only at my wrapping paper.
I want to challenge you today to take a moment to discover what might be beyond the shiny exterior or the crumpled newsprint they are trying to hide behind. Also, let others see beyond your wrapping paper too. We are a lot more than our pink polka dotted paper tied and orange ribbon disguise.
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