Me: So we read together [Kimberly and I]. Rohr said that the only way we can connect with what is outside of us is if there is some correspondence inside us. So God planted all his goodness in us in unique ways. We are not originally evil. Evil is an accretion. I always thought good was something to acquire and impose on my bad self, but this idea invites us to embrace all the goodness within us and foster its growth. It is not about bringing the good in from outside, but finding resonance within us to that good. So what do you think about that?
God: Yes, creation, all of creation, reflects me. How could it not if it sprang from me? I made you. I made you good. I made you to show my goodness in your own unique way. That goodness in you can never be killed, but is eternally beyond your ability to destroy. It is the diamond that might be covered in mud or rock or ocean, but is still a beauty beyond expression. Were I to write down all the unique good that is in you, it would be larger than the encyclopedia… it would take a lifetime to read. Eternity will be spent discovering and growing all the beauty within you. I want you to see your own beauty as much as you see the beauty of nature, of dogs, of all that you take joy in. I want you to see your beauty as much as I see your beauty.
Me: I wish I could too! The barnacles that block my good from expressing itself also block my view of my good. I see the barnacles and think they are a reflection of the true me. I also see all that I am designed to express and realize how far I have to go, how immature I am.
God: But I hope you understand that your growth in beauty is something that will unfold through all of eternity. There is this false sense that “mature” is some stage that everyone should aim for and eventually “arrive” and that immature is somehow inadequate or something to get passed. Imagine a sapling being upset that it is not a tree. Growth is just a continual process that never ends, and varies dramatically for many reasons (note the rings on a tree!), and the growth of one cannot be compared to the growth of another. A sapling in the desert will take a very long time to grow. Softwood grows fast, but hardwood is stronger, and cactus is resilient, and … everyone is unique and beautiful in their own way. When you use future beauty to shame present beauty, the whole concept of unfolding beauty is turned on its head.
Janathan Grace Reflections 
Leave a comment