Sometimes the Lord gives us interesting trials to help us learn important lessons. This week I have been blessed to have a nasty bacterial infection all across the bottom half of my face. Dry skin peeling from your face is not the most attractive feature a person can have. During this time I observed the people around me. And their reactions were priceless.
Everyone reacted differently. Many people would stare at my face the entire time I was talking but say nothing. Others would wait a few seconds before bursting at the seams to find out “WHAT HAPPENED?!” Some tried with all their power not to notice even if they did.
To be honest this new found deformity made it difficult to want to go anywhere, especially to church. I felt very self-conscious about it. In God’s sense of humor the chorister didn’t come and at the last minute I found myself leading the music in church.
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All day at work I tried to stay in the office and out of people’s way, but the register broke so I ended up at the candy counter of all places. (Don’t worry, I didn’t touch any food and even if I did I am not contagious.) People surprised me. I was simply fixing a broken register but if looks could kill I would be dead.
My face will heal and all will be well, but I learned a very valuable lesson. Sometimes we can easily focus on the flaws that are apparent before us. Whether physical, spiritual, or otherwise, we can’t help but look at it. We dwell on it, and sometimes may even make other people feel uncomfortable about something that is or is not within their control.
What if we focused on other people’s strengths? What if instead of looking at the rash on their face we saw their penetrating eyes? What if we saw past looks all together and noticed their heart, or their character? I’m just as guilty as the rest of humanity, and I know I do it too. But with a new year I have a new goal to try not to focus on other’s imperfections, and to try harder to point out the good.
Ashley Dewey is extremely talented at being single. Hobbies include awkward conversations with members of the opposite sex, repelling third dates, talking to boys about their girl problems and to girls about their boy problems. In her spare time she also has a very fulfilling school life, work life, and social life.
Besides being a professional single, Ashley is also a BYU graduate with a degree in linguistics (Aka word nerd). She enjoys studying other languages, particularly American Sign Language, and finds most all of them fascinating. She is currently pursuing a masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language.
Ashley works most of the time and has often been accused of being a workaholic. Currently she works full time as a merchandiser and supervisor in a retail store, and part time doing social media work. On her day off she works (really it doesn’t feel like work) in the Provo LDS temple. The only kind of work she finds difficulty focusing on is house work.
Her favorite activities in her free time are reading, writing, creating social experiments, and spending time with great friends and family. Specific activities with those family and friends include: going to concerts, plays, dance recitals, BYU basketball and football games, and watching sports on television.
