Exposed

So many thoughts, so much angst.

My heart is conflicted.

My life feels easy.

While the world is in crisis.

People are dying.

People are scared.

How do we proceed when our life does not match the narrative we see in the world?

How do we celebrate when others are upset?

How do we proclaim Jesus when people are confused?

I use to share the darkness in my life to share hope.

It felt real.

It felt needed.

But, what now?

I wake feeling blessed.

I wake loving our home.

I wake thankful for my family.

I wake grateful for my friends.

I wake excited about my new position at work.

All these blessings when the world is falling apart.

How do you share hope when everyone is commiserating.

Can I only share when I am struggling?

Showing these parts of myself does not feels good.

To be seen.

To be heard.

To be known.

I have to tell myself to:

Keep showing up.

Keep being authentic.

Keep working to connect.

This is the journey of vulnerability.

This is the journey of embracing your inner light.

Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerability is risky but, not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy —the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.
Brené Brown

Learning to embrace this in the midst of a pandemic is important.

Being vulnerable is how we show up for ourselves and for other people.

Exploring this right now is important.

Everyone is in the same boat; we are in uncharted territory.

Dropping the metaphorical masks we are hiding behind and embrace all the highs and lows is necessary.