A word to the critics…

I haven't spent much time with you, but I do know you.

I was raised by you for part of my life

I was friends with you throughout school

I dated you when I was a teenager

I even pretended I was you when the in crowd got to me

I am not perfect. I fall short daily of who I know i could be. Ive acted in ways that deserve judgement throughout my journey and at times I have been the one to judge. So we're not even entirely different. In fact, being a critic is not actually who you are. It's a piece that lives inside everyone of us but some are allowing to rule.

Im here today to talk about why our lives look different. This might be part of what is making you so angry. I don't know what your story is or what you're walking through but I know we are living different experiences. I hope today to communicate to you why I believe that is.

You may not receive this but the difference is that I love you. I believe for you greater things than your criticism will allow for yourself. For if you are sitting out there, judging me or any of the others, I am heartbroken for you. Because I know that the criticism that you have for us is no where close to that which you have for yourself. The judgement you pass over everyone who thinks differently from you is a raindrop compared to the ocean of judgement you reserve for yourself alone.

You may not be with me but I am with you. You may not love me but I love you. You may not believe in the good in people but the good in people believes in you. You may not want to let any of it in for fear of a show of weakness, but it will sit outside your hard exterior waiting for a crack in the armor so you can experience the true strength of vulnerability

You may chose to hate but you are loved

You may chose to judge but you are forgiven

You may chose to see everything as dark but the light will never stop shining on you.

Critics, you are not the enemy, you are not a villain. You are me, without the love, encouragement, belief and worth that has been poured into me my whole life. I am humbled to know you, I'm proud you're here, I'm grateful you're in an environment where transformations occur, I am faithful that one is occurring right now.

You may try to hurt me but I will chose to feel your pain instead. You may try to tear me down but I will work to build you up. You may attack with words intended to cut and I will choose to bandage you up with mine. You may give up on me as a way to release the tension you feel and I will give up my desire to protect myself so that I never give up on you.

I am sorry that I haven't built the trust with you that I needed to in order for you to be able to hear my heart. I am sorry that I have fallen short at times and dimmed the light of my example to you. I am sorry that you have been bumped, bruised, cut, abused & taken advantage of along the path in ways I will never know. I am sorry that I am not skilled enough to explain everything to the depth of your liking and that you're frustrated by the things that no one is supposed to be able to explain.

But for you I am ever hopeful, for your heart I am ever praying, for your future I am always believing.

I cannot help someone who doesn't want to be helped, in fact that's the only time you're ever frustrated in this human experience, but I can surely have my life and the way I treat you act as a message that as soon as you're ready, as soon as you let the armor fall,

as soon as trying to keep up the facade is too much,

as soon as the piece of you inside that wants to connect to others in a meaningful way is strong enough,

as soon as you're more afraid of staying this way than of what might happen if you let yourself care,

I will be here and I will greet you arms wide open.

My dear friends, the critics, welcome home.

Written for the critic in us all…