Grapefruit

Psalm 139
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
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Today, a friend introduced me to a group of folks I didn't know and who didn't know me. Her introduction was accurate, as far as it goes, but it makes me realize that she only knows one part of me.

We all have associations with folks in different capacities. How many can you name? The family relationships alone would take a long time. Then there's work, church, social, professional, casual relationships, intimate friendships. We show a different part of ourselves to each person we meet, depending upon how much we trust that other person, what we hope to gain from that relationship and how long we want the relationship to last. For instance, a relationship with my husband is very different from a relationship with the cashier at the grocery store. They each see a different part of me. I am willing to share a larger portion of myself with my husband than I am the cashier. (By the way, I have no doubt that the cashier is just fine with that.)

But all this got me to thinking about how I compartmentalize my life. Just like the sections of a grapefruit. I have a spouse section, a mother section, a grandmother section, a daughter section, a friend section, a church section, a work section and on and on. I even have a section reserved for self, that no one else knows. Like a grapefruit, sometimes life is sweet, sometimes sour, sometimes bitter. It all depends on how deep you dig into the section. Sometimes a grapefruit is whole, but sometimes it's cut open and the juices flow. When it's whole, no one sees the different sections, but when it's cut open, we see that some sections are larger than others.

And then I wondered..... do I even know all the sections of my life? I know how I feel about other people, but how do others see me? What things are there that I don't even admit to myself? Am I even aware of all that is within me?

No........ The answer to the last question is 'no.' But, God knows me. God knows all there is to know about me. God knows all the parts of my life and helps to make me whole. That's what the psalmist is saying.... O Lord, you have searched me and know me.