Voilà!

After I wrote last night's post, I got a phone call from Mom filled with some pretty rough news.  I texted what needed to be texted out to my prayer team, because even if my mom doesn't like prayer or want prayer, it's all I know to do to support her when I hang up from a conversation like the one we had.  Thankfully, I have so many people that love me so much they are also willing to pray for my family.  I don't want to get into the details of what is going on, because it's not my story to tell and I know my mother wouldn't want it.  Just please, be in prayer for her, for her health, for her strength, for her spirit, and that she would be drawn closer to the Lord and find peace with the way that her story is playing out right now.

One of the (many) people who responded to the text I sent out was my sweet friend, Amy.  She ended up suggesting I call her, so I did.  I was able to confide in her everything that's been weighing on me lately, this past week in particular, and it did so much good for my soul.  I am blessed to be surrounded by some older Christian sisters who are always willing to mentor me and pour into me the way that we all need.

But what jumped out at me most in the entire conversation (that was an hour long, by the way, apparently I'm even more talkative than usual this week!) was when I was telling her about a friend of mine.  I said something to the effect of, "He's so humble and so smart, and he doesn't even realize it.  He genuinely won't believe you if you try and tell him how great he is," and she interrupted me and exclaimed, "Mal!  What you just said about him, it's the same way for you!"

I exhaled, and she knew I was listening, so she went on.  "It seems like he can't see how wonderful people think he is, and you're the same way.  You just said you have a very hard time seeing all the good things people say they see in you.  You know those qualities are there in him, and we all know the good things that are in you."  And then I laughed.

I laughed because as many times as I've said what I told Amy about my friend and about how I have a hard time seeing what other people see in me, I never once made the connection between the two.  And it just cracked me up to finally see it that way.  It was as if the lightbulb had just magically turned on.  Voilà!

I may be book smart, y'all, but I tell ya, sometimes I can be really, really stupid.  God bless these friends of mine who are willing to drill the truth into my head no matter how many times it takes to make it stick.