Last week I shared an observation from the musical Man of La Mancha. Today I continue with another one.

In the musical Don Quixote arrives at an Inn – which he thinks is a castle. There he meets Aldonza, a whore who he thinks is an esteemed, elegant damsel named Dulcinea. He treats her with respect. He esteems her like a princess, fair and beautiful. He is kind to her and flatters her.

And Dulcinea? She despises him for it. She kicks back and yells at him. She shouts, “Why do you call me that? Why do you say those things?!” Yet Don Quixote is convinced of her purity.  He doesn’t waver. All he sees is a pure and respectable woman, and he conveys that to her. Eventually, she melts and stops fighting him about it. Perhaps she begins to remember her own worth, and begins to see those beautiful qualities in herself.

I think that is how God sees us and if we will listen, we’ll hear him speak of our beauty and worth. We’ll be drawn to his love and start to esteem ourselves and to love ourselves the same way that He does. His eyes are a mirror, showing us our true selves.

Then I look further. I think about how we look at one another. Perhaps we can follow this example and see others in pureness, in beauty and in belief that they have value and are also to be highly esteemed . . . regardless of how they are behaving. Maybe when they see this version of themselves reflected in our eyes, they will also begin to believe it . . . and to live like it.

Just maybe . . .