Oh, to be seen.

The warm embrace of traveled souls as they encounter compatriots on the various depots littering our collective mind. The contrasting shards of light transmitting experience into the depths of our being, weaving stories to fuel a bleeding heart. Our mind implants those memories in proverbial rooms that span the great plains of our cognition, in an attempt to remind ourselves of what we’ve become against all odds.

You cannot communicate that feeling by just proclaiming you “see” them, it must be an action taken in accordance with a Godly demeanor, for He rewards the Champions who seize their altruistic moment and witness the totality of their neighbor as it forms before them. It’s a collaborative journey to spatial enlightenment, a definitive connection to the One who crafted our flesh and bone. Tiny framed moments painstakingly layered together and bound by the profound emotions that make us a communal species.

A photograph of sorts. Which brings me to our purpose.

We have a friend and her vision is vast. Her ability to capture those shards of light and craft them into a personified canvas of contagious hope, extraordinary dreams and pure love is unmatched. A composition of cheerful consciousness, masterfully arranged into a cornucopia of memories and emotions.

We have a friend and her mind is sound. The plight of the creative begins with the burden of doubt and excruciating noise that must be filtered through God's voice as it reverberates through your head. A constant reminder of why He chose you for a mission that will test the very core of your being but knowing the fortitude that rests within your soul to accomplish His command.

We have a friend and her heart is as deep as it is wide. Her desire to empower the conditions of the love our Lord gifted us defines her existence. A bona fide artisan in designing a foundation in how we express those languages of love. Her heart imbuned by the absolute grace of God to love in a way that would perplex even the best of the Apostles.

We have a friend and she is a dreamer. In her own Oscar Wilde-ian way, she chases those aspirations by the light of a heavenly moon and still finds it within herself to overcome the burdens of seeing the dawn before the rest of the world. Those dreams ignite the fires resting within those around her, a defying warcry against the forces determined to crush souls beneath their guilt and disdain.

We have a friend, her name is Jessica Crowe and God see's her in clear view.

Though, to be seen by her is a gift only God could allot. A Bohemian maven, entrusted with the foresight of composing the human experience through her ingenious lens. There must be an unspoken connection with the “Esther’s” of Goodman Oaks, the bold women who willingly and effortlessly carry us despite the pain that screams out to them to capitulate, to act on selfish intentions. I am confident that a certain Patricia has lovingly and stubbornly taken up the mantle to be Jessica’s guiding angel.

To be someone’s “people” carries significant weight, a charge given to the most galant of souls and a mission derived from the foundations of Christ himself. It’s a gift that we sometimes ignore or remain too complacent to the power our peers can bestow upon us. For Courtney and I, it’s an absolute privilege to be amongst those whom Jessica calls her own. For her husband, she is a constant reminder of the love and growth they experience together through God’s very grace. For the people of the church, it’s a blessing to be seen by a woman as strong as Jessica, a woman who carries the banner of what it means to be a follower of Christ even through the immense struggles of sin we must all face together.

The fortitude required to stand from our collective eternal battle, to gather yourself and rise to meet the challenges placed before us by God, speaks volumes of who we are. For God chooses the souls whom many have dismissed, lost in the muck stirred by society and the social requirements we subconsciously place upon ourselves and our peers. The task of facing your fears, facing yourself, in the midst of excruciating noise would crush even the strongest of shoulders under the weight of shame.

Even through it all, there is a torch in the deep recesses of our mind, wrapped in cloth fueled not by an ignition of fire but by the unfiltered love that pours down through our Father into the many chosen souls to carry a great burden. For they may not see Grace in themselves but they are the pinnacle of granting it to others.

Empowered to light the way through love. It’s as if you could say they are “steadfast”, a word that rises above all others.

We see you, friend. Just like you’ll continue to see us. Never stop being that dreamer, that Champion of Love. For it’s an honor to know you, Jessica Crowe, and may God continue to bless you with the foresight and tenacity he placed in your soul.

“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world” - Oscar Wilde