Their Potential Lies Hidden From Us.

Their Potential Lies Hidden From Us.

At this time of the year, particularly at morning prayer, the stained glass windows are just a cold slab of black glass. I can sort of make out some of the outlines, but that’s just about it. The detail is missing, and the colours are nonexistent.

I sort of remember the picture, but the more I look at this sheet of black glass, the more I forget and the more it all seems drab, almost hard and uncaring instead of bright and engaging.

I consider myself extremely fortunate to have lived 65 years of a great quality of life. I look back on the odd childhood photo and reflect on the wonder of my life and how it all turned out, and the places I’ve been to and the people I have encountered, could not have been foreseen or predicted 64 and a half years ago, with my incontinence, inability to walk or compose this article.

It seems that as the sun has gotten higher and the ‘day ‘of my life has unfolded, all that was obscured and concealed has gradually come to light and been available and accessible to those around me. And while I have been slow to glimpse it in myself, others have frequently seen remarkable things in me that I have not been able to see myself. Why is that?

But it works the other way as well. Over the years, I have been privileged to watch others develop and change and grow and mature and shine in ways no one could ever have dreamed of.

The potential in a friend and also in a total stranger is always there, and in ourselves. Sometimes we just need to wait a little while and open those ‘other eyes’ to see the potential that is all around and within.