paper

I hope everyone had a warm and sunny weekend like we did here in South Florida. Oh, ooops, where are my manners. Sorry my TEXAS friends and family, just had to rub it in a little.

Seriously, nine inches of snow in TEXAS, in March?? Whoa!

My mom sent me this little video via text message of her snow filled yard she woke up to this morning. I never had snow like that as a kid that I can remember in Texas.

Well, it was indeed very beautiful here this weekend. I ended up spending Saturday afternoon at the baseball field watching my little man play an awesome game. The ending was such a fun one to watch. Then I got home and went to the pool for a couple of hours. I met this really beautiful young 22-year-old college girl. I asked her if I can take the chair next to her and the conversation quickly began with no pause. She was studying finances and already has been offered a job in Manhattan come 2011. We talked about life, boyfriends, careers, marriage, the future, children and so much more. I often found myself admiring her long beautiful blonde hair and her youthful tall (5'10") figure and full lips with beautiful teeth. Part of me wanted to envy her and throw myself a pitty party of feeling so old. After all we were 10 years apart.

But as we sat there chatting and getting along so well, the age gap disappeared. She really had her head on strong, and suddenly I didn't feel so old sitting next to her. I just felt like a girl chatting with a another girl. After all that is what we really are, just two girls sitting there chatting.

There were so many things from Beth Moores book coming to mind as I sat there and spoke with her. I took that very opportunity to share some of the book with her and hopefully sent her on her way feeling a little more secure at 22 years old, as I am trying to be at 32 years old. It was refreshing to be outside and hear someone of her age to be so mature.

But lets not talk about the two hour sunburn suntan on one side of my body and face I walked away with. I guess, if you see another blonde girl with the opposite side of her body sunburned as well, you will know who my acquaintance was. *giggle*

So, a guy sent me a letter this morning that he wrote and gave to his pastor and wife. He and his wife were struggling of their 23 year marriage. He wanted a divorce. He didn't share details with me, but he said he had been reading my post and that God placed it on his heart to share with me. I asked him if I could share his letter with everyone here on my blog.

He replied: YES, You may use it!! For I think that ALL MEN should hear this!!!

Here is what he wrote to his wife and shared with his pastor:

Hello,

First, let me thank you for allowing me to stand up today! I wanted to say more about the Paper, Sorry for not giving you one!!

God has brought a SIMPLE piece of paper in my life to see what I have!! PLEASE, Let me tell you the story??

I was getting ready to write something on a PLAIN piece of paper one day and I was told to stop! It was like someone telling me to just look. I looked at the paper over and over, then I heard "turn it over." When I did, it was the same as the other side. "Now, look back at the other side with a magnifying glass. Do you see the imperfections?" Yes!

This piece of paper is like US! On the outside we look pure, but if you look closer you can see that we are not. Is ALL paper the same? NO! Like us we are ALL different on the INSIDE.

While looking at the paper, I noticed how delicate it was, like a woman's heart. Then... I was to tear it. It tore easy, like a woman's heart does. And then I wrote something on the paper then erased it. Is it really ALL gone? NO... some of it still remains. Does it ever go away? We would hope, but it does not.

I can tell you that about 2 months ago "I" was ready to give up on our marriage! I had had enough!! This is when all this paper thing came about! I was asked to look at both sides of the paper........ They look the same to me, so WHY? I was asked "do you think that the grass is greener on the other side?" I had to stop there, take a long look at myself! WOW.... Its not! Its the exact same!

My wife, she asked of 3 things of me that is dear to her heart. I really had a set back, because "I" wasn't giving that to her. I was starting to see were this was going! I was scared!

I have made a commitmeant to look at my marriage a different way than I was looking at it. Now, I see my bride like I saw her almost 23 years ago! I have a lot of work to do and I intend not to stop! In other words, I will finish what I started!

Wow. Right?

I know. He told me he could tell I was a very Godly Women and to stay that way. That he had once turned away from God, angry at him for things physically happening to him over the last few years. He asked if I would just pray for him and he would pray for me the same.

Most of my readers are female. Occasionally, I will get a brave male reader to step out and say hi, or comment about a post I have written. One male reader once said that although my blog is predominately geared towards women, that the way I write, is refreshing and interesting. He liked hearing things from a 'womens' perspective.

So, maybe tonight, this letter was placed on this guys heart to share with me, because there is someone out there that maybe needs to read it also. And since he doesn't have a blog to share it on...... its being shared here.

I think it is important for all of us to simply take the time and be aware of how we communicate with one another. Too often people forget to use their "sensitivity chip" that we all have programed in us. We get too caught up in our own thoughts, words and feelings that we forget about how we could be making the person around us feel.

I have been guilty of this SO MANY TIMES. I have also been victim of it SO MANY TIMES.

Although, that letter was written to his wife. It can be used as an expression for all of us as human beings. We are all fragile. We are all the same, but different in many ways too.

I love visuals and I will never look at a piece of paper the same. I want to take this myself and practice being more sensitive to those I come in contact with. Be more aware of my words, my facial expressions and let them know I am there.

This goes for our kids too.

Way too often adults (parents) are so caught up with being parents, that they forget they're children, and are just as fragile. I see it a lot in the sports active parents/kids. Parents often forget how easily their words can hurt a child. Words that will stick with that child for a long time, and may never fully be erased from their memory or hearts.

We all demand respect. Everyone deserves respect. Your husbands, your wives and your children. So the next time you feel like being selfish and just spewing out your words.... think of the delicacy of the person you are looking at and think "PAPER."