A Kiss From God

Just the other day I was thinking of that idiom that goes, 'you can't judge a book by it's cover'. (Yes, once in awhile, I actually do just think about things like that). I had been talking with a friend when she mentioned how her son was having a lot of problems being teased by other kids in school. She was looking for advice and as we talked I couldn't help but remember my own pain as I was growing up.

I was born with a crossed eye and the other children couldn't get past how I looked. I remember feeling like the cruelty was literally endless. The teasing didn't stop when I got home from school. It happened everywhere I went and even extended into my own family. Although this very much affected my self esteem which I struggled with for too many years, I've ultimately found that it made me who I am today. In fact without it, I may have ended up being a little less forgiving and a lot more judgemental of others. I know you're probably thinking, "whoa, wait a minute! What did she just say?"Well, just hang in there and let me explain.

As with most teens, prior to and into my teenage years, I desperately tried to find my place in the world by trying different paths, both good and bad, and just searching for who I was and where I fit in. But aside from the normal struggles, I just wanted to understand why God made me different. I spent many nights in my room crying and asking Him why but I don't remember ever getting angry with Him.

My father had died when I was 8 and my mother did the best she could to help me just accept it. But she had explained to me that the God that made me, loved me, was with me always and he had a plan for me. Although I questioned all of that, because she was my mom I believed her. I knew she didn't lie and that was huge to me.

Throughout my early teen years I constantly searched for an answer. Then one day I ran onto an article written by a woman and she told how she had been born with a birth mark that stretched across the entire left side of her face. As I read it, I couldn't get over the fact that she came across as so very strong and sure of herself. In a world that puts so much value in appearances, how did SHE overcome the negative attention that this had to have brought to her life? She went on to say that during her childhood years her dad had told her that she too was loved by God and He had a master plan for her. He said that because our Father in heaven has so many children to keep track of, He makes codes for those that He's got special missions for. Her dad told her that God had placed a kiss on her cheek so it would be easier for the angels to find her when He needed her.

Well, it appears that my mom was right! Call me gullible but this story was just what I had been looking for. God knew that and He provided the answer. I no longer questioned why I looked the way I did. Of course people still noticed and I even continued to get teased but it was different now. I felt sorry for all of those kids that didn't have a special kiss from God.