Don't be impressed. It wasn't something that happened in the open waters. In fact, it was a baby shark. In fact, it was also dead and in a basket at a fish market off the Gulf of Mexico. But the fact remains, I pet a stark. That's not something I would have ever thought I would have done. Even a dead one.
It's been said before that sharks the most misunderstood species.
The people who think that haven't met me yet. They don't know me. If they did, they would know that would give sharks a run for their money on that title. And I'd probably win by margins.
Being misunderstood isn't necessarily a bad thing or a negative thing. Maybe in marine life it is, but not necessarily for me. I say that, because I'm not sure that being UNDERstood, to me, is all that important. Over the course of my years, I have learned that people will make assumptions about me no matter what. Some of it I can somewhat control, whether it be by my behaviors and actions, things I choose to publicly take stands about or things I remain silent about, the company I keep or the places I frequent. But even in those situations, the assumptions of people outweigh their true understanding of the situation or who I am.
Jesus was one of the most misunderstood people in history. He was misunderstood by the religious leaders and lawmakers, by the rich and political icons and even the very people He hand picked to follow Him in ministry. People made assumptions about Him for hanging out with tax collectors and prostitutes, for practicing religious acts on the holy days, for touching the publicly shamed and pouring Himself into the misfits of society.
The people who seemed to understand Jesus the most.....well, they were the ones in need of the most grace, the people shamed by those handing out judgment as if it were theirs to give, the ones who had nothing to give but brokenness and hurt and a willingness to understand the heart of compassion the Savior came to offer. They were the ones Jesus came to mend. They were the ones He seemed to want most to be understood by.
To me, it's not important to be understood by people. It used to be, but not so much anymore. Being understood by my Savior, now that's a different story.
"He will not always accuse us and He will not be angry forever. He has not punished us as our sins should be punished. He has not repaid us for the evil we have done. As high as the sky is above the earth, so great is His love for those who respect Him. He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west. The Lord has mercy on those who respect Him, as a Father has mercy on His children. He knows how we are made He remembers that we are dust." ~ Psalm 103:9-14
He understands the misunderstood.
Translation.....He undersands even ME.
And THAT, my friends, makes life for Christ worth living.
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