Teeter-Totters, Optimism, and the Most Important People in the World

One of the things I strive to do in my life is to be completely present mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, as long as I am in a place. A large part of doing this is to enjoy my present company, and not just to enjoy them, but to make them feel, if at all possible, that they are at that moment the most important people in the world to me. This is not an easy thing to do, nor am I necessarily very good at doing it; sometimes I do it and sometimes I don't.
Probably my best experience with this was at the camp for physically disabled kids that I worked at last summer. I did not have a problem with centering my experience around those disabled kids. My job, and my delight, was to help them have the best time they could possibly have. I think in reflecting on that experience since then, it is important for me to not isolate that situation as unusual. It was, but in some ways those kids were the most "normal" people I have ever been around. Why? Because they did not try to deny their condition. They understood that they were disadvantaged, but many of them also understood they were of inestimable worth and value. In that way, I believe people like them are ahead of "the rest" of us. The answer, as God has helped me to see, is not necessarily to spend my life ministering to disadvantaged kids. It is to realize that all of us are disabled and disadvantaged. We all struggle with our worth and value and our purpose.
So when I am around people who I don't particularly like or relate to, I remind myself that they are unique. They are, as an individual, a one-of-a-kind reflection of God's glory and creative ability, whether they live for God or not. This might be my only opportunity to be with them, learn how to relate to them, and learn from them about God in a way that only they can tell me.
I don't worry about blessing them or changing them or challenging them. There will certainly be opportunities for that as I get to know people. My job isn't to help people as much as it is to love people. When I am around people, I try to appreciate who they are. I admire God's creativity in making them. I notice what jumps out to me about them...their hair, their eyes, their smile, their mind, their choice of clothes, whatever it may be. If I compliment them, I will by doing that compliment God who created them. I will learn from them; there is something that I can learn from everyone I meet. Even the worst, most rebellious, evil people in the world can teach me how not to live. I won't try to fix them, but rather to believe in them, believe that they are better, more amazing people, than the evidence of their lives would indicate. Over time, some people will begin to become what I can envision through God's perspective.
My suggestion for you is, if you are a true follower of God, don't just care for people. Go beyond that. Think ridiculously positive thoughts about them. Take the teeter-totter that has reality on one side and optimism on the other, and tilt yourself towards optimism, without losing sight of reality. I might not be described by others as an optimist, but there are two things I am optimistic about: The value and potential of every human being, and the ability of God to change people.

Note: Portions of this post were taken and adapted from a recent e-mail to a friend.