"She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice-- it was supposed to make you feel something.”

This quote, shared on Facebook and Tumblr alike, has truly captured my attention. I think one of the saddest things about quotes is that, over time, they lose a bit of their power, a bit of their magic. We share and share them because we recognize their beauty, but in doing so we beat them to a pulp a bit, blinding ourselves to their once-renowned beauty. But hey, back to the topic at hand.

This particular quote is from a book entitled "Eleanor & Park" written by Rainbow Rowell. Sadly, this book is collecting dust on a forlorn wooden desk at home, among the other 567 projects and books I have yet to complete. Regardless, though I know only a bit of the context from this quote, (two teens in love) I wish to dissect it a bit.

"Nice" is one of the poorest adjectives to describe a human being. Nice, on its own, holds a very hollow value. Morning coffee is nice, sleeping in is nice, and sunny days are nice. People are so much more than nice, so much more than just "kind," "pretty," or "funny."

I remember that little game we used to play as 12-year-olds. You would hop onto AIM or Gmail chat, spot your crush online, only to find out after a few chats that they too, had a crush on you! "What do u like about me?" you'd nervously type. With a hesitant reply, they'd say, "i think ur cute, funny, n nice."

Of course, we were small back then. Everything was cute and funny and nice to us. The world was so simple, and so new. We did not have the appropriate words, or even knowledge, to describe the one who meant the most to us.

But I wish to open our eyes to the absolute depth of our creation, with God as the master Sculptor, Painter, and Artist Extraordinaire.

As I wandered throughout the Philadelphia Museum of Art recently, I was struck by the magnificence around me. I, however, could subject this art, these years and years of toil and sweat and passion, and label it simply as "nice." I could devalue it, even though its splendor stood tall and grand before me. Yes, this art was beautiful, but above all, it made me feel something. It made me imagine the history, the heartbreak and the inspiration that was tied into each intricate painting, sculpture and tapestry.

But even so, I did not understand this art (pop art, especially). I did not know the context, or the drive behind each particular painting or sculpture. But just because we do not understand something, just because we do not understand someone, does not mean we should dismiss the absolute beauty of their being.

We were all created by the same Maker. All created from gorgeous, God-breathed dust. No one, and I mean no one, is ahead or behind anyone else. Just because you do not understand someone's beauty, someone's intricacies and someone's heart, gives you no right to dismiss this person as lesser than yourself, lesser than the other beauties around you.

What I find at the heart of this is that God created you to be so much more than simply "nice." He created you to be more than a degree, a 9 to 5 and restless night of sleep. Your beauty is extravagant, your calling is precious and your heart is His. There are no amount of adjectives or lovely phrases I could use to describe you, you incredible son or daughter of Christ.

We miss the passion found in our creation. We forget the great lengths and back-breaking labor Michelangelo went into painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. We do not understand the horror of war when we look at Guernica by Picasso, and we have misconceptions about The Scream by Edvard Munch. And in the same way, we forget the reason for our being. We forget that we are loved, and that we have utter purpose in being alive today. We devalue ourselves in comforting words like "kind" and "pleasant."

Do not go about your day, put together, outfit "on point," and eyebrows "on fleek" (though, these things can be nice). Go about the day with wild hair, freckled face, and open heart. Carry that lovely heart open and for all to see. Understand your stunning value, knowing that the world cannot capture your bright and illuminating spirit in the emptiness of being nothing but "nice."