Why blog, you ask? Two reasons: #1. It's cathartic. I could lay awake for hours in the middle of the night thinking about 'things'. Things that seem so important, revolutionary, traumatic, but in the morning they are really quite trivial. Just journal, you say. But here's #2. Transparency. I'm tired of everyone going along like they haven't a care in the world. Myself included. I come from a family of women that like to say, "I'm fine". My grandmother said this a lot with a sly grin on her face. This told us she wasn't really fine, but she wasn't going to talk about it. "I am strong, I am invincible, I am WOMAN!" This is one of my favorite Helen Reddy songs from my childhood. My mother's album. Another woman from the "I'm fine" generation. Or how about this one, "I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in the pan…" And well, you remember the rest of that one. Sure, I can go for a while with this attitude. But at some point something gives. And it's usually not pretty.
I wonder what would happen if we all started being a little more honest about what's really going on in our lives? Instead of 'I'm fine', we owned up to mistakes, hurts and needs. Now I'm not talking about being a bunch of whiny-babies. 'Cause I ain't got no time for that. But I'm famous for not even letting in those closest to me. Yes, I've been hurt from opening up. Hurt by well-meaning and even not-so-well-meaning Christians who should know better. And by opening myself up I will probably be hurt again. But how many others will be brought closer to Christ by my opening up? How much closer will I be brought to Christ? I have a friend who's opening up in her blog about how painful divorce is. Bart Millard of Mercy Me is opening up about things in his life. He's being honest and I absolutely love it.
I recently read a book that is now one of my favorites, Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand. It's the story of a man that not only survived World War II, but survived horrific treatment as a prisoner of war. This book told me things about WWII that I wish I had known when my grandfather was talking about his experiences. It should be used as a text book in schools. I learned more about that war from this book than I ever learned in history class. But not only did it tell of his war experience but of the post traumatic stress he endured after returning home. The PTSD caused him and his family problems that they could not overcome … Until one night when he met Christ through Billy Graham. By putting his faith in Jesus he was brought out of his PTSD and his family was transformed. And now how many others have been transformed by his opening up and letting us into his life? Angelina Jolie was at least so moved by it she's making a movie from this book. I wonder what it told her about Christ?
Recently I opened up about some struggles I was having with my son with special needs. This struggle put me on the minds of friends and also my husband. I am so thankful for the prayers and encouragement from them. It is comforting and freeing to know that others are bringing my needs before Christ. In the midst of our struggle my husband shared a bible verse with me. Just having that verse on my mind got me through some tough days. How powerful and changing the word of God can be. How much more powerful and changing will it be when we share it with others?
The bible verse I'm loving today is…
Psalm 130:5
Amen! Not only is blogging cathartic, but for an introvert like myself, it is sometimes easier to pour out the pain on a page than trying to speak the words between tears, a quivering chin, and nasal drips.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, the transparency made me nervous at first . . . "What will people think? What will they say?" But I can feel the prayers of my friends.
Maybe we can be the generation of women that instead of saying "I'm fine," says "I'm going through some tough times right now and I'd really appreciate some prayers."