A Little Happy: Loving the hard part(s)

We’re hard. We have pointy bits and rough edges and sharp scary corners.

Sometimes we’re hard on each other. Even the friends who are dearest to us. Even the people we love  (and who love us) the most and the best they (and we) can.

We crab and fight and harbor hurt feelings and misunderstand and misconstrue and think the worst rather than the best (of each other, of ourselves.) We tally the slights and sit with our pain and turn it over in our hands like a worry stone, doubting how much we are loved, how much we are valued.

We do it all the time. And people we love do it to us.

Because we’re all broken and wounded and capable of feeling and acting small when we’re not.

We’re big and mighty and beautiful and wonderfully made and a we have a huge capacity to love. And we are loved, even when we are feeling the most unlovable and the most unloved.

DJ Jeff dug the song below out of his grab-bag this evening and it hit me where I live. How true. How very very true.

I like to think that Jesus says this kind of thing to me about 1,000 times a day, every day, 365 days a year, for 40 years and counting.

And if Jesus can love my hard parts, I can too. And if Jesus loves your hard parts, so can I. And I do.

That’s true love. That is the stuff of true friendship. Whether we believe it or not.

So show me the hard parts and I’ll love you anyway. Even when you don’t think I do.

Because I do.

I honestly do.

See the good thing about that is that you don’t need to believe it for it to be true. Just like Jesus does even if we don’t believe it or feel it or think we’re worthy of that kind of love. Cuz we are.

All of us.

Every maddening, disappointing, pointy, rough, sharp, hard-parted one of us.

Even when we doubt it.

Cherished.

Valued.

Loved.

We are.

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Hard Part

By David Wilcox

I see the look that’s in your eyes

That says ‘I must keep most of me inside

‘Cause you’d never love me if I didn’t hide

the secrets of my heart”

Well I’m not here for the surface stuff

I just get bored with all that fluff

So show me the edges even if it’s rough

And let the real love start

You think your shame and deep disgrace

Are more than I can bear

But you can go to your darkest place

I will meet you there

And I’m strong enough to take it

And I know what you’ve been through

You’ve got a whole heart

Give me the hard part

I can love that too

You look at me with some surprise

And I see the doubt that’s in your eyes

Like something deep inside you cries

With a hunger to be known

Like a tiger born in a city zoo

There’s been no place for what’s inside of you

You try to live like the others do

And it leaves you so alone

I know you think that the heat of your pain

Is more than I can stand

Burn it all in one big flame

And I will hold it in my hand

I’m strong enough to take it

And I know what you’ve been through

You’ve got a whole heart

Give me the hard part

I can love that too.

Now your eyes well up with tears

As desire mixes with you fears

After so many wounded years

Can you long for what you’ve missed

You want a cool breeze to dance with your flame

A long lost lover who knows your true name

A secret garden beyond this shame

And it all comes down to this

You think your drowning hope will die

In a sea without a shore

But I can drink that ocean dry

And still come back for more

I’m strong enough to take it

And I know what you’ve been through

You’ve got a whole heart

Give me the hard part

I can love that too

I’m strong enough to take it

And I know what you’ve been through

You’ve got a whole heart

Give me the hard part

I can love that too

You’ve got a whole heart

Give me the hard part

I can love that too