The Truth of Children's Literature

Have you ever been struck by the deep truths found in certain children's stories after reading them again as an adult? One of my favorites for this reason is The Velveteen Rabbit. Two years ago I was a counselor at summer camp and I grabbed a stack of old books from my parent's house to have in my cabin for the summer. One night during mini week I decided to read it as a bed time story to my girls (ages 8-10). I hadn't heard the story probably since it was read to me as a child and I wasn't prepared for the profound truth found in it's pages. I was so struck by it that even in the dark cabin, one of the girls could tell I was getting choked up and asked so innocently, "Are you crying?" The truth is, now as an adult I have experienced the wearing down process of becoming real. Here is an excerpt:

It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't often happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.

I hope you all get to experience becoming. I hope that you can accept the wearing down, and loosening of joints and shabbiness that comes with it. Because if you do you will know true love and with that love comes true beauty. Thank you to those of you who have been a part of my becoming process. I love you.

The Blessing of Friendship

Today I'm thankful for friends. I am amazed at the incredible blessing my friends have been in my life. Over the past 15 years the group of my closest friends has changed several times, depending on where I've been, but in each season that group of people has meant the world to me. I often wonder why these people have loved me. I know there's nothing that incredible about me, I don't say that in a self-deprecating way, but honestly knowing my faults I don't see a reason. So I'm thankful for the blessing that they are.

There are times when I get discouraged by the fact I've had to leave so many groups of friends. Saying goodbye is never easy especially if you don't know if those relationships will ever be the same. But today I'm able to see the blessing of having had so many godly people who have surrounded me and walked with me in this journey. We laugh, cry, travel and learn together. So if you're one of these people, I want to thank you; you've challenged and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord and have blessed me beyond what words can express. It's easy to hold on to the past and long for nothing to change. I'm beginning to see that by looking at the past I can trust that wherever the Lord leads me he will also provide fellowship with friends, whoever they may be.