On occasion there is a picture on social media that includes a red circle. Someone is eager to draw attention to the particular faux pas that might otherwise go unnoticed. 

 

I have elected to stop looking. 

 

A friend mentioned receiving an email with a similar effort to highlight what someone considered to be a mistake. The content surrounding the circle was lengthy, positive, and engaging. But the sender was bent on ignoring those qualities. He even enlarged the image for the purpose of exaggeration. 

 

My heart sank. Do I do this? Have I come home from a movie that I enjoyed and zeroed in on the single scene I disliked? Have I attended a productive meeting and silently criticized the person who rambled?

 

The first time John traveled to Africa I was home with half a dozen kids. I collected the string of mishaps that are endemic to parenting small children, mentally preparing to draw a red circle around them when John called. But when the phone finally rang, and the crackly connection was in place those meaningless complaints felt like unworthy messages to burden him with. 

 

When I consider all the foibles, and even egregious flaws baked into each of us, I am astounded that God so quickly finds reasons to love us anyway. Rather than penning a circle around our broken parts, He draws us in.