Then turning to the woman, but speaking to Simon, he said, “Do you see this woman?… 

…She was forgiven many, many sins, and so she is very, very grateful. If the forgiveness is minimal, the gratitude is minimal.” – Luke 7:44, 47

This woman:

• cries during messages at church that cut to the core.
• looks in a pantry full of food and cannot put anything together.
• just wants to stare at sweet Natia all day.
• cannot break free of the painful memories.
• gets mad at herself for neglecting her friends.
• relates to the woman with the alabaster jar, relates to the woman at the well, relates to the woman accused of adultery watching Jesus draw in the sand, relates to Martha, relates to Mary Magdalene, relates to Eve, and relates to Hagar. I would like to relate to Esther, too.
• is still startled when called by her first name.
• loves the smell of coffee, but not the taste of coffee.
• is a sinner.
• is a little obsessive compulsive when it comes to dandelions gone to seed.
• is heartbroken over the three dead dogwoods in the front yard.
• has a mind that swims with regret and bitter and anger and lonely and depression but also joy and peace and happiness and silliness and love and compassion and worry and concern and the desire to fix it all and spill all the feelings out to anyone who will listen.
• can pay bills now, all by herself.
• is too fat and knows it and wants to lose the weight but doesn’t want to eat salad and vegetables.
• loves road trips.
• prays without ceasing these days.
• regrets many things in life.
• worries about her sister.
• craves Taco Johns and Freddy’s fries and potato chips.
• misses her music kids but not the stress, misses the musicals but not the stress, misses summers off but not the dread of August.
• is sore and overwhelmed and so glad to be in small town USA, even though she is sore and overwhelmed with the unpacking and the sorting and the finding a place for it all.
• realizes she is old and likes things kinda boring and is okay with that.
• loves time with her husband on the porch at night in the stillness, watching the stars, but also loves time with her husband on the other porch in the early morning stillness, listening to the birds wake up the neighborhood.
• has heart palpitations and rising blood pressure when reliving the trauma of the past.
• would rather listen to talk radio than music radio.
• appreciates a Dad who came to help.
• wishes she could fix people who hurt with silence.
• must shower every morning. It’s her luxury.
• laughs at Jim Gaffigans, Jimmy Kimmels, Jim Halperts, and Jimmy Fallons. Jims make her laugh.
• is understood by God, is seen by God, is comforted by Him, and she is very, very grateful.

She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me!

“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!” – Genesis 16:13, The Message