Clearly Seen and Deeply Felt

In this life we have many relationships. Some are no more than chance encounters where we make yet another acquaintance, where others develop into more...be it a friendship, lover, someone we depend on for certain things, secret sharers, etc. Many of these relationships leave us wanting more. More time, more conversation, more memories. We have this constant longing for more out of this life and more out of the people around us who are very much or very little a part of this life.

I have found on many occasions that I feel let down by others for the simple matter of not feeling as though I am being seen or heard (depending on the situation). How many times in my life have I been asked how I am only to be cut off mid answer as the person asking me has something "more important" to add. And likewise how many times have I asked someone how they are and before they get the full answer out I've cut them off and moved on to another topic. You see it is much easier to move on than to stop and listen to what those around us are saying, because then if they say something that requires some action on our part (even if its simply showing some empathy) we don't hear them and therefore need not act. How selfish of us all...we too know what it feels like after having a seemingly long conversation with someone, walking away, and then thinking "what did we just talk about? what did they say? did they really understand what I was trying to tell them? do they care?"

This also takes place when we feel as though we are being judged or when we are the ones doing the judging. Since we are all different with regard to the way we not only look but the way that we think and perceive events we don't 100% understand others points of views. We can empathize, sympathize, etc but we cannot completely immerse ourselves in the other persons shoes since our own vision is clouded by our experiences, knowledge, etc. The saying, "You shouldn't walk around with Rose colored glasses" comes to mind...mine are not usually rose colored but more of a charcoal (around the edges) blending with a baby blue and the very center is a mix of mint green and alternating shades of red, dandelion yellow, white and sometimes blacks or purples...I think people in general have a shade of glasses they put on for most every occasion/encounter they have, I know I do. But since we all have this veil over our eyes we very rarely see others in the light which God made them/us/me to be seen.

How many times have I done these very same things to the One whom I should have the strongest relationship with? I know that He is the only one who truly knows me...who is the most patient with me...the most gracious. And yet time and time again I cut Him off and ask Him (not to politely) to wait, and wait He does or I turn away because I don't want to see Him (Him seeing me-not possible) and still He stands firmly next to me or carries me and waits some more. This amazes me and yet I continue to forget that He is truly the only one who knows me and who can fill the longing like no other being can...COMPLETELY!

I must continually strive to better myself and to place my trust where it belongs, with God. By doing this and continually running back to His arms, by sitting silently in His presence at Holy Eucharist, Mass and in my personal prayer, by training myself to hear Him and to have an open dialogue with Him may I learn to do the same in my other relationships. My relationship with the Trinity is by far the best one I've got going and I learn something new most everyday from Him. He will allow us all to be clearly seen and deeply felt if we just allow Him access to our hearts. And by doing this one, seemingly simple act of allowing Him access to our hearts may we also stay open in our other relationships so that we can clearly see each other, so we can truly be present to our fellow man and so that we might deeply feel and deeply be felt in unity, as God truly intended for us to be.