To Be Known

Do you ever long to be understood by someone? Do you ever long to be known? Do you ever long to be accepted for who you are, no questions asked? I think that one of the biggest, nicest, greatest things someone do for me is say with a smile on their face "I know you..." or "I know how you are....". Or even just say that they know something about me, and say it with a smile on their face. Just this week I had 2 people say similar things to me. "I know you, you (naming some habit I have). "I know how you are--you (naming a trait of mine)." But they were smiling or laughing when they said it. Not saying them in a "I KNOW HOW YOU ARE AND I HATE IT!" kind of way. Not a "I know how you are and now I'm going to reject you because of it" kind of way...which is something I've dealt with many, many times.
It is such a relief when at last we can find understanding. When at last we can find someone who is willing to accept us as we are. People like that are a gift from God. And sometimes it's a long, painful wait to find that person.
You know what though? Even if we never find those people here on earth, there is still Someone who is loving, accepting, and kind to us in ways we can only imagine. Someone who understands us completely and accepts us completely.
God made each of us. He knew our entire lives before a single cell of our body was formed. He knows everything we're ever going to say before we ever say it. Jesus came to earth as a man and understands just how hard it is to be a human being, how frustrating and difficult and lonely and painful our lives are. He knows our pain, our heartache, our losses, and our joys.
If you are someone who, like me, longs to be known and accepted and understood, we have to look no farther than Jesus who will always, always look towards us with open arms and say to us, "I know you--- and I love you."
Just my thoughts for today.