People are like houses:
-old and strong
-old and not very well maintained
-new and with all the latest ease
-new and not sturdy and easily broken
-beautifully ornate and details in the woodwork
-out dated, not taken care of, foreclosed
The house on the outside is our appearance, the first thing people see…and most people only see the outside of who we are. You can look at the outside all you want and study the structure and walk around it’s surroundings and get a feeling of what goes on inside the house.
Once you open the door to the home (the heart of a person), you won’t know fully what lays inside. You haven’t walked through the design of the house or felt the wooden cool floor or musky carpet. You haven’t stood and felt the boards creak with unsteadiness or felt the solidness of which the whole structure stands. Until you open the door, you can’t see the chaos inside or the beauty of the intricacies.
You can only view the inside of these special places if you are a wanted guest…otherwise the floors quickly get picked up and things get hidden if someone looks like an intruder. We like to hide our junk even further. We are more at ease when a good friend or spouse who knows the inner workings of ourselves comes in through the door. No need to clean up our act or vacuum up our emotions. However, even then as a guest may become a burden…a stay too long…a door opened without permission…we have to be careful not to take for granted this opportunity to be inside this vulnerable spot. It is delicate. We can overstay our welcome.
But then again, the more we are like a house with an open door, the more we connect with others. We have be careful not to let just anyone inside- that’s why there are screen doors. 🙂
So, what kind of home are you? Do you have an open door policy to your heart? Do you have a closed door with the windows drawn? A house that looks perfectly put together only to find the inside is beat up from life’s challenges?
I challenge myself today to see others as houses and to see them with care. And without judgement. You never know, the house that looks in shambles on the outside may just be the one built on the strongest foundation and have one amazing story inside their doors.
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