Pain behind the Beauty

It was 38 degrees outside.  The sun beat down at every turn, perspiration soaked his t-shirt; Washington D.C. was bright and alive.  A visitor to the city, the American Rome appeared to hold some of the world’s most remarkable wonders and sights, a city full history and beauty.

It was 5 o’clock and his stomach was growling with hunger.  His mind spinning through the countless facts, figures and ideas downloaded from the conference; a gathering of 1,500 people to address an issue of on-going concern…homelessness.  As he and his colleagues stood outside of a seafood restaurant discussing the day’s findings, a woman approached.

She stood about 5’-2”, beads of sweat formed along her dark, wrinkled skin, her hands folded in a fearful respect, her eyes looked heavy yet held a certain hope in the goodness of humanity; there was remarkable beauty about her.  She cupped her hands and held them out.  After mustering every ounce of bravery in her she said, “Excuse me sirs…could you help me out with any change?”

Bam.

Like a freight train, reality struck him with an unexpected blow.  Immediately he left his mind and became fully present in the moment.  His eyes focused on her and he felt her pain.  Who is she?  Where is she from?  What led her to this point?  What has she been through?  What has she seen?

After a brief moment of hesitation, wondering if giving money was the right thing to do, the three men reached into their pockets and pulled out some change and placed it in her weathered palms.  As if in disbelief in what just happened, she covered her mouth and tears began forming in her eyes.  “People walk past me like I’m invisible…like I don’t exist.”

Thud.

Those words dropped heavy on his heart.   How could such a beautiful woman feel this way?  What has happened so that people walking past see her don't even acknowledge that she's there?  Is her existence important enough for people to take notice?

“What’s your name?” he asked.  “Shelia.”  The way she said her name showed she had no doubt in who she was, but she was filled with shame.   He took a step forward and asked, “Shelia, can I get a hug from you?”

Sigh.

He felt her entire weight sink into his arms.  She exhaled like she had been holding her breathe for years.  Salty tears streamed onto his shoulder as she said, “All I wanted was a hug.  All I’ve needed was a hug.”  He held her tighter.

“Shelia, you are loved.  You are beautiful.  God is on your side.  You are not invisible.”  He whispered these words into her ear in hope that they would sink deep into her soul and awaken her to the image of the Creator inside.

Sheila picked herself back up. She looked at them with grateful eyes and said “Thank you.”  She turned around and continued walking down the street.  The three men looked at each other, searching for words to describe what just happened, but couldn’t.   The words of Bob Dylan played through his mind, “Behind every beautiful thing, there’s some kind of pain.”

Can you see beauty in the pain you experience?

- Josh

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