So I recently moved into my own apartment. It’s been very exciting to decorate everything and carefully put detail into each small space. One of my favorite rooms is my walk-in closet. I live in a two bedroom and because I’m on my own, I decided I would make the most of it and use my second bedroom as my walk-in closet. It is completely decked out in Marilyn Monroe pictures, magazines, and even newspapers. I’ve always kind of been obsessed with Marilyn. I have to admit, I don’t know if it is the alluring stories that they come up with on the magazines or just simple intrigue but in honor of the life that she lived, I always buy the new magazine that comes out with her face on it, my guilty pleasure for sure! I sincerely love learning about her life and can’t resist what ‘new’ story the magazines come up with even years later, even if it is just a story. And whether you’re a conspiracy theorist, or just in it for the fun, it’s hard to resist reading the gossip. Personally, I love a good JFK conspiracy, but I’ll spare you my theories.

A while back, my best friend and I were talking about my love for Marilyn. She asked me, “Why do you like her so much? She was such a sex symbol!” I immediately responded to say that she is so much more than a sex symbol! She is a representation of brokenness and of what the world does to us when we seek love and fulfillment in the wrong place. You see, Marilyn was someone that came from a humble beginning, beat the odds, and made it big! But none of that was enough to fill her. No accomplishment that she gained was ever going to fill the gap that she felt. While it’s no secret that she made her way around and had her hands in some suggestive things (porn, sex scandals, etc.), the underlining fact is that she was a broken individual simply seeking fulfillment in the wrong place. Such fulfillment can only be found in Christ. I find it so endearing to think about Marilyn’s life. She was so loved and so delicately beautiful, yet underneath, what was happening in her heart? Christ didn't see Marilyn as a sex symbol. He saw Marilyn as a broken individual in need of His redeeming love. It is so easy for us to see people and not consider the things going on below the surface. What would happen in our world if we took the time to consider people and what is going on in their hearts? What would happen if we began to see people the way that Christ sees people? What if we chose to see beyond the choices that people make and dig deep in getting to know them in a way that helps us understand what brokenness they may carry? I sincerely want to challenge you to look below the surface of people and help them see how Christ alone can fill them to make them whole. Whether that means reaching out, asking tough questions, or having a crucial conversation. People need the light of Christ to help them see that He and He alone can fill that gap that they feel. View people through the eyes of Christ and remember that people are so much more than the choices that they make.