Choosing to be Vulnerable

Too often I meet people who are destroyed by the unfaithfulness of people in their life. They are abused by a parent, disappointed by decisions made for them by those in authority over them, abandoned by a spouse, traumatized by infidelity, or overwhelmed by grief from some loss in their life.

Through life's trials, I have learned that all people are inherently untrustworthy. You and I fall into that category as well. We never know how we will act or react to a moment of temptation and weakness. Yet, God calls us to love unconditionally.

If we withhold trust and love from others because we are wounded or fear the potential of being hurt, we cheat our self. We erect walls around our emotions and function in life from our mind only.

We refuse to feel anything because life is too painful for us. We do not emotionally invest in anyone, not even our spouse, children or church family. We simply show love by doing acts of service for them.

This attitude makes us feel like we are a success and doing our duty to others. Yet, this is a substitute at best - failing to fulfill us at the deepest levels of our soul.

We hide behind arrogance, which actually makes us more vulnerable and increases our load of unwanted emotional baggage. We collect the incidents of abuse in our soul and hold grudges, forgiving with our mind but never from our heart.

God is the only entity in life that we can truly trust. He always has our best interest at heart. Even if He disciplines us or allows life to bruise us, He never allows life to totally break us (Isaiah 42:3).

This makes life worth the risk of allowing our self to be vulnerable to hurt, in order to experience the joy of unfettered love and acceptance. We can even more freely love our self if we allow our self to love others (Mark 12:30-31).

 

Prayer:

Father God, our soul can only find our true and complete rest in You alone. You are our only salvation and constant comfort and strength. You alone are our rock and fortress. No matter what life throws at us, we will never be shaken as long as we keep our focus on You (Psalm 62:1).

Remind us that it is easier to forgive others when we realize that they are as vulnerable and human as we are. We can actually expect to be wounded by other people, but it hurts less when we have our faith in You rather than in our fellow sojourners in this life. You give us Your agape love to share with the world and it is healing and complete.

Thought for the Day:

God is our only help and shield from the inherent pain life brings (Psalm 33:20), because He alone is our strength in times of trouble (Psalm 37:39), and our courage in this insecure world (Psalm 130:5); we wait in silence before Him and find our hope only in Him (Psalm 62:5).

Alone in a Crowd ~ Part One

Read: Ephesians 3:16-19

“So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” Colossians 2:10

I know so many people ~ single and married, young and old ~ who all suffer from the blight of loneliness. Even people who work in a crowd all day still experience the scourge of loneliness. Their virtually invisible existence gives them a ghost-like quality. No one notices them. They wander through a crowd, purposely bumping into others, just to see if anyone cares!

The loneliest times occur when we have no one with whom to share our intimate feelings, experiences, dreams, fears and goals. In this technological age, we have computer chips that connect us instantly to everyone and anyone in the world. Yet, we still feel isolated and secluded. People sit for hours in front of a computer screen emailing and instant messaging their family, friends and associates. The problem, though, is that they never feel the touch of a human embrace. Sometimes, all we need is a hug.

***

My husband told me a story about a dog that was not adoptable. He went from home to shelter to another home and back to another shelter too many times. He cowered in the corner of his cage and snarled and snapped at anyone who tried to touch him. He ate little and was not much more than skin and bones.

Over time, he went to yet another veterinarian for another adoption check-up. During the course of her examination, the vet gave the little dog a hug. The dog backed up and looked her in the eye, then he inched forward and she hugged him again. The tiny animal raised his head and gazed adoringly into her face. As the veterinarian watched the transformation going on in the little fellow’s mind, her heart melted. That afternoon “Tiny” found a forever home with one of the veterinarian’s friends, and Dr. Gomez remained his vet for the remainder of the little dog’s life.

***

God created Adam and gave him all of creation to enjoy. Yet, He realized that Adam remained incomplete. So, God fashioned Eve to intimately share Adam’s experiences and feelings. When He finished, God sat back and exclaimed, “Hey, now this is really good!”

This example proves to us that from the beginning, God designed each of us to get to know one another, to understand what impacts each other’s lives, to care about our deepest concerns, as well as our physical and spiritual needs. Many caregivers pour out their lives to needy friends and family, yet encounter no one to care for them in return. The Good News for this malady of loneliness came in the person of Jesus Christ.

Intimacy with God Himself is our most nurturing resource. Whether married or single we can experience a personal relationship with the God of the Universe through His Son Jesus Christ. This occurs when we sincerely ask for forgiveness of our sins and request Christ to inhabit our lives. Then His Holy Spirit moves into our spirit. Christ within is the most intimate of all relationships, because it is the only bond that comes from within. God knows our deepest thoughts and our most intimate needs. He made us and knew us before He formed the world itself. God continually promises in His Word, the Bible, to care for us in every way.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, we can trust You with our whole life. You work all things out for our good. You assure us that eternal life starts from the moment of our connection with Your Spirit, and that we share this miracle with the whole Body of Christ everywhere.

Thought for the Day:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. - 2 Corinthians 4:8-9