If you knew me when...

"…And the Father who knows all hearts…causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son…" Rom 8:28-29

Maya Angelou is a very interesting woman. She's a celebrated author and poet, earning many awards and recognitions. She worked for Martin Luther King Jr during the civil rights movement, was a freedom fighter in Ghana, traveled the world in theatre, and currently is a professor here in North Carolina.
Oprah hails her…
President Clinton invited her to speak at his inauguration…
The list goes on and on.
So reading the first installments of her autobiographies was quiet a surprise.
She and her brother were raised by their grandmother, because neither parent really wanted to be bothered by the hassle of children.
When she was 7 she was raped and after she told her family, the man's body was found beaten to death. She felt it was because she'd told the truth that this man was murdered, and chose not to speak for a year.
At 16 she became an unwed mother. To support herself she did any job possible- including dancing in bars, prostitution and becoming a madam.
Knowing where this woman is now in her life, it surprised me to find out her life began so humbly
I wonder how others saw her then. Did they have any idea who she would be in 2006? Looking at her in the 1940's and 1950's did they have any idea what lay before her? Or did they simply see the dancer? The cast away child? The whore? The teenage mother?
I think about my own pastor. At 36, he's recently finished his PHD. He's started a growing thriving church from scratch. He has a loving wife and 5 beautiful children. But what did people think of him 20 years ago when he was in jail? When he was selling drugs? When he was smoking crack? When people looked at him did they have any idea who he would become? Or did they simply count him as lost?
It's easy in the here and now to see a snapshot of time of a person's life and think that is all they will ever be. They have nothing to offer the Kingdom.
People thought Jeremiah was crazy.
Hosea was a fool with a cheating wife.
Saul was a persecutor of Christians.
Jesus was disregarded because he was from Nazareth
Oh, if the people could only see who they were to the kingdom.

When we see the crack addict on Franklin street, whom are we really seeing?
When we see the teenage mother in Siler City, whom are we really seeing?
When we see the orphaned child in Swaziland, whom are we really seeing?
When we see the demonically oppressed woman in Brazil, whom are we really seeing?


If we only knew what lie ahead in their lives, would we treat them differently? With more love? With more compassion? With more understanding? With more grace?

More importantly, if we knew what lie ahead in our own lives would we treat ourselves differently? With more love? With more compassion? With more understanding? With more grace?