Would you rather be a pigeon or a dove? Though it’s kind of a trick question, my guess is that your gut reaction is to say that you’d prefer to be a dove. While we often think of pigeons as city rats with wings and associate them with dirt and grime, doves are a symbol of peace and are regarded as pure and beautiful. But what if I told you that these two birds, as different as they appear, are actually the same? Interestingly, they are part of a species called Columbidae, and there are 310 different varieties that we simply categorize as pigeons or doves. Since there’s no inherent difference in their form, it’s safe to say that our perceptions of these feathered friends have been formed by images, depictions, and our own experience. Culturally, we’ve ascribed greater value to one than to the other, but that ascription is based solely on appearance and commonality. Pigeons are dark, dirty and a “dime-a-dozen,” but doves are white, beautiful and seemingly less ordinary.

My friend, my point in sharing this with you is to remind you that when you look in the mirror, while you might see a pigeon, God sees a dove. Though you are tempted to ascribe value to your life based on benchmarks set by a society that is concerned primarily with outward appearance and image, Jesus sees beyond those things and beholds a precious, priceless, one-of-a-kind soul that uniquely reflects His beauty. In a time when you are spending long days at home, it’s easy to feel discouraged and down on yourself. However, I want you to know that you are irreplaceable and that what you have to bring to the world, especially in this trying season, is necessary and needed. You are a light in the darkness and you deliver peace and healing wherever you go. Keep shining the brilliance of Jesus and walk in the assurance that you are perfectly loved and totally accepted, whether climbing mountains or sitting in the deepest valley.