authenticity

Preface:

holy guacamole, I love my community here. My heart is deeply, profoundly blessed by so many that make up this place that I continue to grow to love.

Our message last night at Upper Room was about willingness. Katie brought to life the story of the man with leprosy who humbled himself at the feet of Jesus and asked, Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean. "Can" means being able to, having the power to. And of course, our loving and merciful King said yes. But even more noble than this God-man being willing to heal was the action of the sick man being willing to ask for the healing.

How many times do I shy away from Him because of fear that He can't, or won't? Too many to count, actually.

Our God is able. And willing. And His love never changes.

I wanted to dance like a crazy person when we sang His Love Never Fails because it's true and it's freeing and it's healing like nothing else!

"I don't have to be afraid, because I know that You love me. And Your love never fails."

[repeat to self]

We also did something that would probably be considered vulgar or "too open" in other communities. We sent texts to a phone number knowing that in a few minutes the secrets of our hearts would be displayed for everyone to read. It was anonymous and still very hard to do. We wrote, "If people knew _____ about me, then ____ ..."

This is communal authenticity. And the funny thing is, as those texts rolled across the walls and as my heart sank deeper into my chest, I realized the absurdness of our doubts and fears. So many of those secrets were my own. We all have so much in common, and it is a lie that we believe we will not be loved or accepted for who we really are. Because though we are different in many ways, in just as many ways we are exactly the same.

& He loves us.

So cheers to a Monday:

a day of grace, a day to be loved and to love

a day to rest in the knowing

a day to choose freedom from ourselves

a day to listen for Him and to look for Him

because when we seek, we find

when we listen,

we will hear His beautiful whisper.