"Don't judge a book by its cover," is one of the pieces of wisdom that I've carried with me since kindergarten. Have I always practiced this principle? Sadly, no. First impressions can be misleading. Instead of seeing the person, we see a label. We tote around masks, disguising who we truly are. It's our little piece of protection. In a good relationship, as trust is built, that mask is slowly peeled away to reveal the true person inside.
I'm beginning to discover the similarities between building a relationship and writing a story. We started out with two main characters, Roxie and Tess. In our minds we had a rough sketch of the kind of people they might be. We knew a few scattered facts from their lives. We were aware of some of the choices they'd made, as well as some of the decisions currently facing them. Those things all rest on the surface though. It's like with the actors in Hollywood. We read these magazine articles and watch them on talk shows and we feel like we know them. To know someone is to spend time with them. You witness their life alongside of them, taking in the bad days along with the good. To know them is to have the kind of trust where they are willing to share from the depths of their heart. You learn about what makes them tick. It's about listening and paying attention.
The characters in this story are starting to become a part of me. It's as if they are living, breathing human beings. Roxie on the outside may appear to have it all together. She may have a life that others are envious of. Behind that facade though she has her own struggles, pressures that weigh upon her shoulders that she wonders how to handle. Naturally, right away the reader comes face to face with flaws in Roxie's life, things about her that instantly irritate them. Inside we wish we could fix those imperfections. But, upon closer examination, we find a bit of ourselves in her. The casual observer can find the dross and stains in anyone, but it takes dedication, patient endurance, and a caring heart to find the treasure that's hidden.
I'm excited to dive deeper into these characters lives. I choose to look past the stereotypes and to meet them where they're at. This story is one hidden in dark closets. Bringing it out in the open is painful. And yet this story is begging to be told. So we press on another day.
I'm beginning to discover the similarities between building a relationship and writing a story. We started out with two main characters, Roxie and Tess. In our minds we had a rough sketch of the kind of people they might be. We knew a few scattered facts from their lives. We were aware of some of the choices they'd made, as well as some of the decisions currently facing them. Those things all rest on the surface though. It's like with the actors in Hollywood. We read these magazine articles and watch them on talk shows and we feel like we know them. To know someone is to spend time with them. You witness their life alongside of them, taking in the bad days along with the good. To know them is to have the kind of trust where they are willing to share from the depths of their heart. You learn about what makes them tick. It's about listening and paying attention.
The characters in this story are starting to become a part of me. It's as if they are living, breathing human beings. Roxie on the outside may appear to have it all together. She may have a life that others are envious of. Behind that facade though she has her own struggles, pressures that weigh upon her shoulders that she wonders how to handle. Naturally, right away the reader comes face to face with flaws in Roxie's life, things about her that instantly irritate them. Inside we wish we could fix those imperfections. But, upon closer examination, we find a bit of ourselves in her. The casual observer can find the dross and stains in anyone, but it takes dedication, patient endurance, and a caring heart to find the treasure that's hidden.
I'm excited to dive deeper into these characters lives. I choose to look past the stereotypes and to meet them where they're at. This story is one hidden in dark closets. Bringing it out in the open is painful. And yet this story is begging to be told. So we press on another day.
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