Who Are You Missing Out On?

If you have been reading my blog for long, you know that I am a huge Vincent Van Gogh fan. I just love his work! I love swirls, and some of his paintings not only have them, but the paint just seems to move. 

Someone sweetly gave me a book about Van Gogh yesterday. I knew most of his story, but I starting reading last night and just had to share. The first chapter is called "The Misfit". (I can relate to that!)

Van Gogh is mostly known for being a little weird and cutting off his ear at one point. I have never minded his weirdness. This next paragraph from the book really moved my heart and I wanted to share my thoughts on it.

"On the contrary, few men ever had greater capacity to give love, or greater need to receive it. Sadly, he could express his love only in his art. When he sought to express it directly to other human beings he met only misunderstanding or hostility. "One may have a blazing hearth in one's soul, "he writes, "and yet no one ever comes to sit by it. Passersby see only a wisp of smoke rising from the chimney and continue on their way."

That sentence that he wrote really moved me.

Many people have the capacity to love and a huge desire to be loved. That's just part of who we are as humans.

Who are we missing out on? Is someone's heart burning with care, compassion and love, but we just pass them by? 

It is not just about romantic love. They need to know that there is a God who loves them unconditionally. Just think of how Van Gogh's life might have been different if he would have realized that God loved him. I think he did an amazing job at painting God's creations, and can't help but wonder if he knew that God loved him. How different could his life have been?

Why don't we share God's love today? Spend time with someone, call someone, speak to a stranger you see. Encourage someone. Ask God to give you the words to say, and the person to say them to. You could be missing out on a great relationship and the chance to change someone's life for the better!

Here are some of my favorite paintings and drawings of Van Gogh's.