Last night Carol and I went to see the movie Song Sung Blue. It was a good movie, but what stayed with me was not the music or the scenes. It was the quiet reminder that we often meet people without any real understanding of what they have lived through. We see who they are today, but we rarely see the years that shaped them.
This morning, as I reflected on that thought, one truth stood out clearly. The only way to truly understand people is to spend time with them. A life cannot be understood from a distance, and a story cannot be known through a single conversation. Understanding grows slowly through presence, listening, and shared time.
When I taught men’s groups years ago, I would ask a simple question: how many sermons can you remember? Messages fade. Words spoken are often forgotten. But when someone tells the story of their life, it stays with you. You remember the struggle, the turning points, and the moments when grace intervened. A lived story carries weight in a way teaching alone never can.
That is because stories are not explained, they are lived. A life story holds pain, failure, endurance, and hope together. It includes scars and chapters that are difficult to revisit. Some stories are unfinished. Some are deeply painful. Yet none of that makes a life story insignificant. It gives it depth and meaning.
Scripture reminds us of this truth in Ecclesiastes chapter three, verse eleven: “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” This does not mean every chapter is easy or pleasant, but it does mean no part of a life is wasted in God’s hands. He sees the full story, not just the moments we struggle to understand.
There is a quote that has remained with me for years: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” Every person carries experiences that are not visible on the surface. Beneath what we see are losses, disappointments, fears, and quiet perseverance that have shaped who they are.
When we take the time to be present with people, those unseen parts of their story begin to emerge. What may appear as distance can be rooted in pain. What looks like frustration may be connected to loss. Time and patience reveal truths that quick judgments never will.
We live in a world where meaningful connection is becoming rare. Communication is constant, yet genuine presence is limited. We were not created to live isolated lives. We are relational by design.
My story is not meant to be lived alone. It is shaped and strengthened through relationships with others. In the same way, the stories of those around us need time, care, and understanding. Lives are not fully known in passing moments. They are understood, shaped, and often healed in community.
Just Some Thoughts