Reason #411
Don't you wish, sometimes, that you didn't know the difference? That you could just forget as if things never happened? Wouldn't it be nice to only remember the things that are reinforced over and over and over and only have to worry about those? Sometimes I wish I could be like Scout. Oblivious to the world around me and only concerned with a few little things. Not knowing the difference between myself and someone else and just living in the moment. Who cares what happened yesterday, after all, who even remembers? My sister-in-law told me that dog's memory is as long as its nose, and I wish I could enact that quality for certain things in life.
It's hard to hear truth when lies are being shouted. It's hard to go against the grain, too. And the world tells us that if we don't have it together, we need to keep it to ourselves. We need to hide those things we aren't proud of and only expose the good. Boast about it. Put it on Facebook, hashtag it, instagram it, pin it, tweet it. Let everyone know the good things going on in your life, the good things about you. Tell them how lucky you are, how successful you are, how good you look, how good your life is. Don't let anyone in on your heartache or struggles. Don't tell them that you're imperfect. Don't give them the slightest idea that you don't have it all together either. Let them think everything is going your way all the time.
I sat in my living room with my bible study girls tonight and we talking about being humbled. Humiliated is more like it, though. The enemy says, in his accusing whispers, "Don't you dare tell anyone about this. You better make sure no one finds this out about you. How shameful! Don't you know what they will think about you when you expose this? You're the only one who feels this way, thinks this way, has had this experience. No one else understands, and no one will. You're in this one all by yourself." We believe it and we are silenced by the lies. We clam up, holding everything inside and pretending all is perfect on the outside, and we start to compare ourselves. Days, weeks, months, years go by and we feel the burden of it weighing down on us. Everyone else's life appears to look so good, why is ours not? Isolation and we have to pretend all is okay. We can't be ourselves because we're convinced no one would love us if they knew. No one would desire to keep our company if they were aware of the whole story. And we're surrounded by people doing the same thing. Keeping it inside and pretending on the outside. Carrying the burden of secrets stuffed deep down, and we remain in the boat by ourselves.
Rowing alone, it's a hard task. It's discouraging and difficult. If only there was one other who knew. One who could understand. If we could have one other person in the boat with us, it would make a world of difference. To know we are not alone, to know we are not the only one who has dealt with this, who currently deals with it, who has gone through that. If only we had someone to sit with us and bravely say, "Hey, I know how you feel. Been there, done that. Let's talk about it. Let's help each other out." Wouldn't that be a relief?
It is not good for man to be alone. God said that himself. We need one another. And what happened if you exposed your true self? What happened if you uncovered your scars because you realized, even exposed, you're still covered with His grace? What if you were more proud of what God has done in your life than ashamed of what was done in your past? What if you told someone because you actually did understand how they felt? What if you were open and honest and you got in the boat with them? I bet you'd enjoy the company, I know they would. And the ride would be better, that's for sure. Because no one likes to go it alone, and no one should have to.
The truth is, we don't forget. Our memory is much longer than our nose, and we remember. But maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe He doesn't let us forget because He realizes how useful our memories can be. We can let them defeat us, or we can let them teach us and encourage others because of it. We can remember what He did for us, what He is doing for us, and we can speak truth because we know it. We experienced it, and we remember it well. And that's what I'm coming to realize. There's no need to air dirty laundry, but there is a need to be real. A great need to speak up and be honest. To get in the boat with someone else, to invite them into yours, and to start rowing together. A great need to help someone out, to realize you aren't alone. You're not the only one out there who deals with it. It's comforting to know, at least it is for me. And so we have to stop pretending. Quit putting up this front that isn't real to try and conceal what is, and be you. Show scars if they need to be shown, don't be ashamed of who you are and what you've walked through. Rather, if you're going to boast, boast about what God has done in your life. Brag about how good He is and how He has brought you through it. Because the fact of the matter is, if He will do it for one of us, He will do it for all of us. So hashtag those things. Pin them, share them, post them, follow them and be encouraged by them. God gave us stories worth telling. Be proud for who you've turned in to. After all, He is and there is no reason to walk around being the person you're not or the person you used to be. Be who you are now, who He has transformed you in to, and be proud of the work God has done. Because really, that's what matters anyway.
#411 - Because even when our scars are exposed, we are still covered by His grace, and we can be proud of the story He has given us.
"I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together." - Psalm 34:2-3
It's hard to hear truth when lies are being shouted. It's hard to go against the grain, too. And the world tells us that if we don't have it together, we need to keep it to ourselves. We need to hide those things we aren't proud of and only expose the good. Boast about it. Put it on Facebook, hashtag it, instagram it, pin it, tweet it. Let everyone know the good things going on in your life, the good things about you. Tell them how lucky you are, how successful you are, how good you look, how good your life is. Don't let anyone in on your heartache or struggles. Don't tell them that you're imperfect. Don't give them the slightest idea that you don't have it all together either. Let them think everything is going your way all the time.
I sat in my living room with my bible study girls tonight and we talking about being humbled. Humiliated is more like it, though. The enemy says, in his accusing whispers, "Don't you dare tell anyone about this. You better make sure no one finds this out about you. How shameful! Don't you know what they will think about you when you expose this? You're the only one who feels this way, thinks this way, has had this experience. No one else understands, and no one will. You're in this one all by yourself." We believe it and we are silenced by the lies. We clam up, holding everything inside and pretending all is perfect on the outside, and we start to compare ourselves. Days, weeks, months, years go by and we feel the burden of it weighing down on us. Everyone else's life appears to look so good, why is ours not? Isolation and we have to pretend all is okay. We can't be ourselves because we're convinced no one would love us if they knew. No one would desire to keep our company if they were aware of the whole story. And we're surrounded by people doing the same thing. Keeping it inside and pretending on the outside. Carrying the burden of secrets stuffed deep down, and we remain in the boat by ourselves.
Rowing alone, it's a hard task. It's discouraging and difficult. If only there was one other who knew. One who could understand. If we could have one other person in the boat with us, it would make a world of difference. To know we are not alone, to know we are not the only one who has dealt with this, who currently deals with it, who has gone through that. If only we had someone to sit with us and bravely say, "Hey, I know how you feel. Been there, done that. Let's talk about it. Let's help each other out." Wouldn't that be a relief?
It is not good for man to be alone. God said that himself. We need one another. And what happened if you exposed your true self? What happened if you uncovered your scars because you realized, even exposed, you're still covered with His grace? What if you were more proud of what God has done in your life than ashamed of what was done in your past? What if you told someone because you actually did understand how they felt? What if you were open and honest and you got in the boat with them? I bet you'd enjoy the company, I know they would. And the ride would be better, that's for sure. Because no one likes to go it alone, and no one should have to.
The truth is, we don't forget. Our memory is much longer than our nose, and we remember. But maybe there's a reason for that. Maybe He doesn't let us forget because He realizes how useful our memories can be. We can let them defeat us, or we can let them teach us and encourage others because of it. We can remember what He did for us, what He is doing for us, and we can speak truth because we know it. We experienced it, and we remember it well. And that's what I'm coming to realize. There's no need to air dirty laundry, but there is a need to be real. A great need to speak up and be honest. To get in the boat with someone else, to invite them into yours, and to start rowing together. A great need to help someone out, to realize you aren't alone. You're not the only one out there who deals with it. It's comforting to know, at least it is for me. And so we have to stop pretending. Quit putting up this front that isn't real to try and conceal what is, and be you. Show scars if they need to be shown, don't be ashamed of who you are and what you've walked through. Rather, if you're going to boast, boast about what God has done in your life. Brag about how good He is and how He has brought you through it. Because the fact of the matter is, if He will do it for one of us, He will do it for all of us. So hashtag those things. Pin them, share them, post them, follow them and be encouraged by them. God gave us stories worth telling. Be proud for who you've turned in to. After all, He is and there is no reason to walk around being the person you're not or the person you used to be. Be who you are now, who He has transformed you in to, and be proud of the work God has done. Because really, that's what matters anyway.
#411 - Because even when our scars are exposed, we are still covered by His grace, and we can be proud of the story He has given us.
"I will boast only in the Lord; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness; let us exalt his name together." - Psalm 34:2-3