It is July 7th, 2023. My mind, heart, and emotions are swirling, one blending with the others. I do not know your experiences, yet I believe we could identify with each other in this swirling and tossing. I am in the winter or twilight season of life, a time of reflection and contemplation. It is bittersweet, although more is sweet. Not because of anything I have done in my strength and determination but lovely in recognizing all God has done in and for me. I would have said it was impossible, it being the transformative work of my Great Creator. I have never regretted my yes to a relationship with Christ. That is when my life began.

What I refer to as my former life or my dead life, I would have been unable to recognize the swirling and blending within me, let alone sort it out. I was not equipped for introspection and healing, not in a productive manner, at least.

This is where I believe our lives intersect and bring us to a place of identifying with each other. Not in a political or social sense but rather a place where we live, breathe, think, and feel as human beings. We all think. We all breathe. We all love and want to be loved. We have relationships. Some are lacking, and we struggle to know what to do. Some are fulfilling and reflect a mutual interest and effort. There are relationships we have ached for and may never experience. Perhaps an absent parent or no siblings. Maybe we have felt abandoned or were abandoned. We have known new life entering our world and the loss of life ending. I believe we all have unfulfilled desires for particular relationships.

Can you see where the intersections are? Over and over again, as we live, breathe and love, we are the same: Heartache and joy. Dreams are fulfilled, and dreams are shattered. We have laughed, cried, celebrated, and mourned. 

I choose to see and identify with other lives. You and I are the same. We need one another in more ways than we can see with our eyes alone. It is with our hearts and minds that we can recognize the similarities rather than the differences. 

As I reflect and contemplate my life journey, I can recognize and express our “sameness.” You see when I said yes to Jesus, I was given a heart of flesh. This heart had eyes to see. A heart that wanted to see not what our differences were but our “sameness.” 

I am in awe when I consider that the God who spoke all things into existence is the same God who created me. The loving God who gave me a heart that can love more like him and less like self-centered me. The heart with eyes to see beyond the surface and a desire to want to see. There is much to gain in seeing and tragic loss in superficial sight. 

So how did I begin by sharing about my heart, mind, and emotions swirling, blending and churning, and landing where I did? By being still to sort out and quiet the chaos within. I needed to calm down and still myself through contemplation and tears. By allowing myself the space to think, feel and listen with this heart, I’ve been given. A heart like Jesus within a living, breathing, loving woman on this side of life’s journey. 

What do you think? What stands out to you first? How different we are, or how are we the same? Considering various perspectives is something many of us do! Ah, more sameness?

Becky on: Aug 2nd, 2023 09:49am

I'm thankful for the sameness we have in our lives, it makes life more easier to navigate.