Him: Sit.List all the things you dont like about yourself
Me (scribbling fast and furiously): Uhm, so that we are not here for the next three months, can you give me a limit? Do you mean things I hate about myself, or things I really dont like about myself, or things….
Him: Let’s just limit it To things that if you could change, you would like yourself a bit more
Me (I still havent come up for air since I started scribbling): Should I only mention things i do at work, or at home, or when I’m in company…
Him:I think we should limit it to the first ten things you can think about.
Me (Looking u dejectedly): Just ten? I’m already on number thirteen. And I got a whoole lot more to…
Him: Thirteen is fine.(He stretched out his hands and snatched the list from my grasping fingers)
Dang. I just thought about number 14. I hate that I have just written all this stuff about myself that is only going to cause this man to look down on me even more than he does already.
Why do I do this to myself. Why?
He slides me another sheet of paper
Him: Now I want you to write ten things you like about yourself
Me: Umm… I have to think…
Him: How do you do it? Go through life, being your own worst critic and disbeliever
Me: It’s not like I don’t love myself. It’s just that I need a little more tweaking…
Him: Tweaking, for what purpose?
Me: So that I’ll be better of course
Him: Better for what purpose?
Me: So that I’ll be able to achieve more
Him: Achieve more for what purpose?
Me: So that I’ll be more at par with others of course
Him: And why do you want to be at par with others?
Me: I guess… so that I’ll love me more
Him: It seems pretty obvious you cant hate yourself into loving yourself
Me: I guess… so I’m stuck with just hating myself, huh?
Him: You can cut all the prerequisites and just love yourself. Now. This minute
Me: How?
Him: Everytime life asks you what you would change about you, first start with who would not exchange you for the world
Me: Will it work?
Him: There’s only one way to find out. You may go now.
Me (leaving the room)
Him: Oh. And by the way. Number 12. I love number 12. It makes you different. And number 2. And especially number 4…
God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love!
Jeremiah 31: 3b
The Message Bible translation