In "Other" Words-Intimacy

"To be intimate with others is to reveal our innermost selves to them,
including our emotions, thoughts and desires.
For such deep sharing of the soul and spirit to occur,
people must respect and trust each other. ...
In a world controlled by sin, however, to choose to be intimate is to choose to be hurt.
Yet Jesus calls us to this kind of intimacy with Him and with one another."

~ Kenneth A. Schmidt ~

I have been out of the loop on doing In "other" Words, I actually couldn't get the link to work. So I am traveling here to share in the fun. Join in if you like.

I am not sure if it was this quote or someone who said something similar, but I have heard it before and find that it is true. To really love someone and be loved, allows them the opportunity to hurt you deeply. They know how you operate and respond to certain triggers.

I grew up guarding certain information about my family. Maybe because I did not want to admit the truth about my alcoholic mother or because I did not want to be hurt by this shared information. Only my closest friends knew, or guessed about my homelife. It then became a power issue for me. I would only share with those that I felt "worthy" to share with. Now this did not protect me from getting hurt, but I think that it prevented me from having some really good friendships with.

In college, I had even more to hide. I could be anyone, sort of. People did not have to know about my family or my past. Believe is or not, this made my first year of college very lonely. I thought that not sharing would help, but like the quote suggests, intimacy in a relationship is impossible without "revealing" our innermost selves.

The Lord set me free. This sounds so "christian", but it is true. I got involved in a bible study and began reading scripture and applying that scripture to my life. I learned to trust in a healthy way. I first had to get right with God and admit my failings and manipulations of others. I still picked my friends very carefully and did not share everything. There are those kind of friendships that require a certain amount of restraint.

Matthew 7:6 (New Living Translation)

6 “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you."

So, as I grow closer to Jesus, I have more freedom to share because of the way Jesus accepts me unconditionally. Nobody can separate me from that. My reputation is safe with Him and I am loved beyond measure. Praise Him!

Blessings