Life is understood through paradigms. They shape our reality, or better said, they help to mold our perception of reality.

We use them to explain the unexplainable and give purpose, meaning, and direction to our existence. It’s easy to gravitate toward those who share a similar perspective. Sometimes, though, we need to take a peek into the reality of others and see life through their eyes.

I have always been a seeker of truth, whether it is from that which I have been taught or from the experience of others.

Below is my truth—my reality:

I need to be a part of something
Bigger than myself,
Enveloped in an uncontainable love
So vast
So immense
So extraordinary
That life itself transforms
Into quantum reality.

Where my eyes see beauty
In the simplest of things—
Where everything I touch
Is forever changed
And forever changes me—
Where words on paper
Are like streams in the desert—
My soul engaged
By every single sense.

I look to the stars to find a truth
That is larger than life,
But—
I see only stars beyond number,
Too many and too far to matter.
I look within to find the center
Of all that is—
And
I discover that it is not me.
I am but one in billions of other “(me)s.”

Then,
I look around—
And
I see.
I see the majesty of mountain cathedrals,
The beginnings of an endless universe,
The beauty and diversity of humanity—
All of it an extraordinary expression
Of something more,
And
I find wonders that make me wonder.

All of this—
All of this—
Is not some accidental act
Or happenstance
Of unconnected circumstances.
Randomness is the label
We put on things we don’t understand.

This planet,
These people,
This life—
They are no accident.
Yes, “stuff” happens,
But—
This
This existence, this world, this universe—
They didn’t just happen.

If it is by design,
Then I want to know the Designer.
If it is a story written in eternity,
Then I want to know the Author.
If it has a purpose,
Then I want to know my part.

Am I a hero who saves the day?
Am I an agent of change?
Do I find love enough to share
Or—
Do I simply reflect the image
Of the Creator of it all?
Do I express the beauty and wonder
Of it all
With words and deeds
With intention and purpose
Like the One who spoke it into being.

After all—
Who am I?
I am just one in a billion.
Who am I
To want anything from the Maker of everything?
Who am I?
I am one in six billion.
As unique as the day I was created,
Crafted by an Artist
Of unfathomable talent
And chosen to be loved
And to love.

I know now that I am loved,
And the One who loves me
Knows my name—
Knows my heart—
Knows my past and future—
And
He still loves me.

I am part of something bigger—
An uncontainable love
So amazing that even though life itself
Is not always easy
And
Still has its pain,
It is still transformed—
Daily—
By the truth of being loved
Into a reality worth living.

Author: Jim Wern

Editor: Emily Bartran

Photo: Freddie Marriage/Unsplash