© Being Transparent With People Is Hard --- But Transparency With God Is Harder

© Photography by ~CC

In my "God Journal", I wrote the following entry today:

"Being transparent with people is difficult, but being transparent with God is more difficult. It's because HE knows what is in our hearts and minds even better than we do... All HE asks is that we speak it out loud to HIM, fess up! Even if we are angry, even if we are questioning, even if it makes us feel ugly... It is up to us to ask HIM to change our hearts, because we simply are incapable of doing that without the Power of HIS Holy Spirit living inside of us."

The photo I took in this blog entry contains multiple fragments of broken glass of all colors. I took this snapshot at the Atlanta Garden Show a few years back. The broken glass was used to line the Garden's walk way entrance. It captured my attention with all the sparkling colors. Not one piece of glass was clouded, each piece was clear, bright, and shiny. Together laying on the path, it was the prettiest and welcoming garden entrance I've ever seen. I'm sure there had to have been a few flaws in the pieces of glass. But, like any good marketing writer could say... "The flaws you may find contained within the glass particles are natural characteristics and should be viewed as a beautiful part of it's overall reflection of light."

Hmmm... As humans go, we see our flaws as shameful, unacceptable, and quite frankly..sometimes disgusting. And, sometimes they are all of that... Yet, God sees us and loves us unconditional. He loves every part of us, including the flaws. He asks us to come to HIM as we are...it's up to HIM to do the rest! It's up to HIM to take our flaws, that just may be part of the reason we come to HIM, and turn our situation around to reflect HIS beauty within us! Once HE does this, the flaw then remains as a reminder of HIS unconditional love and acceptance, and HIS transformation of us into whom HE ultimately created us to be! Looking at it this way, I guess a good marketing writer could then say, "The flaws you find within this person are natural characteristics and should be viewed as a beautiful part of their overall reflection of HIS transforming power and light!"

WOW... Doesn't that shed an entirely different light on being transparent? It is OK to be real with people. Even when someone asks you about your day and you are honest in answering, "I'm in a really tough place right now." If they say they're sorry to hear that and quickly walk away, you'll know they were just being polite. If they ask you how they can help or pray, you know they have a heart after God's. No matter what response you get when being transparent, don't let it stop you from being who you are! God loves REAL people! That doesn't give us the license to always be negative. With all things we need to be sure we are pouring our pain out to HIM first so HE can fill us back up with his goodness, love, mercy, grace, and POWER! All of those GODLY attributes are what put the spring back in our bounce.

I'm walking the same road you are...striving for more transparency in my life! Striving to accept just wanting to be REAL along with you!

Matthew 11:28
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Staying In This Day while antiquing with my husband. ~CC