Transparency and Love

Have you ever been entrenched in a life-situation and find yourself saying, "This is so not me! how did I get involved in this?" A relatively new friend and I shared two such situations yesterday.

I shared my story (long periods of unemployment due to lay offs, a condemned apartment and a resulting less-than-desirable living arrangement) as a way to lay it all on the table and say, "for better or for worse, this is where I came from."

He shared his story, more recent, if not current, as a way to let me know what I could be getting into and. . .quite frankly, if it was too much for me, to give me the chance to run. Instead of scaring me, his honesty and caring transparency actually endeared me more to him. He shared out of love with the potential for loss.

Don't get me wrong, I am by no means saying that we should bare our hearts to everyone we meet, but, perhaps we should be working toward that type of honesty in our inner circle. How much we would grow if we could only be in a place in our established relationships where our hearts were receptive to people: where we could share with transparency instead of holding back for fear of judgement or rejection and loss.

I pray that being transparent in a relationship could bring you closer to someone: help you know, understand, appreciate, direct your prayers for, and, ultimately, love them more and better. Without sacrifice do we really have love? Love is patient and kind, not envious or boastful. Love is not proud, rude or self seeking. It's not easily angered or grudgeful. Love rejoices in the truth. It protects, trusts , hopes and perseveres. . .always. (from 1 Corinthians 13) Are we willing to share and hear the truth? And after sharing and hearing, are we willing to protect, trust, hope and persevere. . .willing to love?