Love Me?

Wherever you are,

Whatever your struggle,

Whatever your insecurities,

Whatever your imperfections,

I still love you.
Words, right?
Empty words.
Test me, try me.
Ask me to help you and see for yourself

if I will push you down or lift you up,

but be patient with me –

sometimes we get tangled up

and in order to stand up tall,

we must first get down into the mud together

in order to crawl out together.

I’m not going to hold your head underwater,

but don’t be afraid if I ask you to swim alongside me.
Do you see my imperfections too?

Do you know my struggles?

My insecurities, my imperfections?

Can I trust you with mine?

Can you find it in your heart to love me too?
I’ve heard that rough and imperfect stones,

When placed under the heavy weight of stress and trial and flame,

Will sharpen and refine and polish one another,

Into something that appears quite differently in time,

But it isn’t quite the same at all when they are left alone.
I know that I’m loud.