REAL transformation

 

“What is REAL?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit one day...

 

"It's a thing that happens to you. When [someone] loves

 

you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but

 

REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

 "Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

 

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always

 

truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

 

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he

 

asked, "or bit by bit?"

 

"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... once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always.”

 

― Margery Williams Bianco,

 

The Velveteen Rabbit or How Toys Become Real

      One of the most beautiful things about this past year was to be on a journey

alongside people and watch them become real. In January, Fourteen strangers

came together. Some knew from the beginning who they were and how much

they were loved, but the majority came  in wanting and asking "Who am I?"

and  "Am I loved?" They came asking to be taken out of the box and ready to be

"loved on."

    At the beginning of our journey together introductions were made in a

fashion of " my name is" and " I have a degree in." As time passed, passions

were found, and who God is in and through their life was discovered and their

 surname was proclaimed in a different way.

     To me, one of the most rewarding things about this year was seeing

transformation in people's lives simply because they came to know the Truth

of who they are and  they now have a clearer perspective on who they were

created to be.

     How did this happen? Well, it was by asking difficult questions and

confessing lies they had been living and believing in. It was from speaking out

and standing for Truth when it wasn’t exactly what was pleasing to hear at

the moment. It was from making a decision and sticking with it. It was

dedication. It was determining who and what Truth was in their life and

weeding out everything that did not align with Him. From it, there was

discovery; discovery of hope, grace and love.   There was new discovery of

talents, strengths, and even weaknesses.

     Through all the laughs, tears and challenges, I am so glad that I was allowed to be a part of that and I was able to walk the road of 2011 with these people.