Not as Man Seeth

We hear it all the time.
The message is clear, and rings true in our hearts.

"The worth of souls is great in the sight of God." (D&C 18:10)

Such doctrine speaks volumes concerning a loving Father in Heaven who is mindful of each of His beloved children.

Today at church we were discussing missionary work, and the essential qualities that we need in order to effectively share the Gospel with those around us. The conclusion was that unconditional love for others and a willingness to heed the Spirit's guidance were the two factors from which all other characteristics are born. When we have that Spirit of love with us, we are able to see past preconceived notions and snap judgments of others.

This hit home for me on a very personal level today.

You see, when I first met Bryson while attending college, he didn't strike me as what we Mormon gals would call "eternal companion material." As I was unpacking my things from a recent transfer from BYU to Utah State, two guys walked into my apartment, looking for my roommates. One of the two struck me as decidedly off-putting. Shaved head. Goatee. He hardly spoke more than a couple words directly to me before withdrawing into an icy stare. Bryson. Rough, reserved, and estranged from anything remotely relating to church, I doubted that we would even become friends-- much less anything more.

But we did become friends. And after a particularly devastating break up on my end, we became much closer. I began to see a diamond in the rough. The tough-guy act? Merely a defense mechanism. Deeper layers of his personality began to surface. Walls that had been carefully erected began to crumble.

And yet, to this day I am still a little ashamed to say that it was not me that led Bryson back to the Spirit. Despite our closeness, and despite our growing affection for one another, I still had doubts that he would ever return to church. Instead, that particular angel happened to be a roommate of mine who had recently been converted to the Gospel. She listened to the voice of the Spirit. She saw through all his pretenses and cut to the chase. Her words of testimony penetrated Bryson to his very core, and changed him forever. And I will be eternally grateful to her for that singular act of love.

Because of course, as they say, the rest is history.

And this taught me a lesson I have carried with me ever since. Never judge someone by what you see on the outside. The mask many of us project to the world is not who we are. Some of us are lost, some of us are afraid. Some of us are jaded, some of us are hurt. But the Lord sees past all of that.

For the Lord seeth not as man seeth;
for man looketh on the outward appearance,
but the Lord looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)

God doesn't take stock in labels. To him we are not "the jock," "the geek," or "the loner." He knows us by name. He loves each of us individually and is mindful of our needs. He doesn't give up on us. None of us, not one, are "lost causes" in His eyes. His hand is always outstretched. His embrace is always at the ready.

I think C. S. Lewis says it beautifully:

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. … There are no ordinary people. … Your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.
(“The Weight of Glory,” in Screwtape Proposes a Toast and Other Pieces [1974], 109–10)

So when we're tempted to dismiss someone based on first impressions, perhaps we should take pause and show love instead. More often than not, I have discovered that there's something beautiful just below the surface.