Living the Journey…

Being a friend sounds like an easy task.  Every child on the planet knows how to play with another child in 5 minutes flat.  You come, see, and play.  It’s that easy.  I have often marveled at the simplicity of childhood.  Kids do not struggle about who they SHOULD be friends with or what it means to BE a friend.  They just ARE!

The vulnerability that comes from true friendship is something I am now exploring.  To be a true friend you have to be real.  Well, that should be easy.  I am all about being real.  But what about the realness of vulnerability?  Ouch.  It is okay to be real when you control the depth, but what about complete realness.  All the STUFF?  Totally different kind of realness.

Being real is ugly business.  Human nature at its core is full of darkness, selfishness and complete ugliness.  Who wants to show that?  NOT ME!!  But if I cannot be real then nothing in my life can be real.  Nothing in my life can be real if I refuse to be real!  That hurts!! 

God is bringing random people back into my life after years of non-existence.  I am amazed, confused and humbled by the relationships.  It has reawakened part of me that died years ago.  It is forcing me to be better.  It is also causing me to analyze.  I know!  ME?!!  Analyze??  What are the odds?  It is good though.  I am finding ME again.  The “Me” that always gets shoved to the back because of other more pressing things.  The “Me” that decides that it is not worthy of existence and so plays the martyr.  Ouch again!  The “Me” that God is calling to complete vulnerability and openness.  Yeah.  It warrants analyzing. 

Being real opens us up for pain.  It is easy to pretend things don’t hurt when we are hiding behind a shield.  Realness removes the shield.  You WILL get hurt!  It is a fact of life.  Opening yourself up to others will cause pain.  But it is a good pain that God can use for His glory. 

This new step will take much prayer.  Still analyzing…but walking just the same…