Vulnerability is Contagious. When you're willing to bare your soul and talk about the not so pretty things in life it creates an atmosphere of grace and acceptance, where I can be me and you can be you - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Most of us prefer being on the helping side of vulnerable but we tend to forget that we are more of a help when we are on the same side. Think about it. When you need emotional support in an area of your life are you quick to call the person who "has it all together" or are you quick to call the person who clearly doesn't? Probably the latter.
Why in the church do we feel being uppity and flaunting our "Hallelujah, Thank you Jesus!" smiles is going to engage us in real life? It doesn't. It means to me about as much as that nice gentleman who greets me at Meijer. It's nice to be nice. I appreciate niceness. But let the greeters be greeters and the rest of us take down our masks that say "I've got it all together." No you don't. I don't. None of us do.
As much as I'd rather not say when I'm not ok, some one else is feeling the way I do and is waiting to hear that they are not alone. How will people ever tag you as a safe place if you've only ever communicated success? A safety net is only trusted if the source itself can be trusted. Trust comes when trust is given.
If you're aching for vulnerability, take off your mask. It starts with you. It starts with me. Stop looking around to fix others. Let them take off theirs when they're ready. In the meantime, take off your mask. Cause when you do, so will they. . .
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
The Twinkle
just a little heart pouring. . .
Sometimes it comes.
The twinkle in the eye of hope.
It breathes life, love, joy
Restores my soul anew.
Just enough to say "keep on"
Don't lose sight of whats to come
But whats to come never comes
So I sit and wait, again.
Just enough to get by
Just enough to stop the cry
But "just enough" is losing still
To pain, sorrow, and larger still~
This hole is filled with heartache
No joy to employ, to overtake
Unless mercy comes with wings
And carries me out of this misery.
I wish the twinkle would stay a little longer.
That hope would be more real than the other
That life would give a most gracious hand
And wipe my tears away again
Come quickly now as I can't ignore
The life I once knew
The life of more
More than this hour
More than this pain
That is stealing from me all that was gain.
#nurturecalls copyright Kaley Kiewiet
Sometimes it comes.
The twinkle in the eye of hope.
It breathes life, love, joy
Restores my soul anew.
Just enough to say "keep on"
Don't lose sight of whats to come
But whats to come never comes
So I sit and wait, again.
Just enough to get by
Just enough to stop the cry
But "just enough" is losing still
To pain, sorrow, and larger still~
This hole is filled with heartache
No joy to employ, to overtake
Unless mercy comes with wings
And carries me out of this misery.
I wish the twinkle would stay a little longer.
That hope would be more real than the other
That life would give a most gracious hand
And wipe my tears away again
Come quickly now as I can't ignore
The life I once knew
The life of more
More than this hour
More than this pain
That is stealing from me all that was gain.
#nurturecalls copyright Kaley Kiewiet
Monday, September 2, 2013
Priority of the Heart
A world of circumstance, heartache, fear, rejection, pain - joy, happiness, love & serendipity surrounds us. So much emotion can be experienced in one day (sometimes a lifetime of emotion). All too easy joy is squeezed out with a lesser emotion. All too easy. One damaging statement rolls around in your head over and over. You look past it, try to embrace the now and then when a moment of silence comes - there it is. It doesn't matter how hard you try to over look it and move on. It's always there. When insecurity is triggered, greater insecurity comes that is attached to so many other scenarios you thought you were "over".
How does one prioritize the issues of the heart? Prayer, crying, and talking it through can give us the needed release. But given the notion that we need to deal lovingly and sensibly with our heart's, how does one make sense of anything when it's bleeding. Mine's bleeding. It doesn't keep me from loving my kids and enjoying life with them but it's starting to come out in every day life. It's a fight I would rather not have to fight; Swallowing the rejection and choosing acceptance only in my children and husband. Being OK when things are not ok in my family. Finding peace outside of the friendships I have deeply trusted over the years and who are not so much there anymore. Encouraging my children to take opportunity and risk that I myself do not understand. Earnestly hoping for an understanding from my husband when we catch each other's eyes. You can only be so proactive with what's important in life. When the demands around you need your immediate attention survival sends you to reactive. Something always has to give. But that something is not easy to figure out.
The priority of my heart is sending my son to school tomorrow morning. We have talked about this day for months and now here it is. It seems nothing has had my heart more than this. I haven't been able to think or write about anything because this is the pressing issue of my heart that I would rather not talk about. The greatest change is about to take place for all of us. When responsible for my children, change has never been so hard. We will all be affected by this change. Somehow I have to reach deep within and find the strength enough for myself times three - three little faces who depend on me to set them up right in this world. I am scared. Very afraid of what I do not know - and what I do know. Encouraging my child to be confident and excited about all that's to come with school - I feel like I'm half lying by not telling him the whole truth. Yes good things come from school but so do some of the most damaging experiences in life. I cannot keep it from him. It pains me. . . . .
Faith brings on a whole new meaning when you are a Mom. I am trusting in God above to protect my little boy's heart as he experiences life outside of me and outside of his comfort zone. I no longer have control of what he does, who he talks to or what he sees. I will not be there when a peer or a teacher says something that hurts. He has to figure it out without me - and I hope to God when he finds comfort in me at the end of the day I can give him the support and attention he needs.
I do not want to be a victim of a bleeding heart. I hope and pray that when tomorrow comes His grace and mercy will cover our home. I hope that his first day of school is full of wonderful happenings for all of us and when something bad happens it just feels like a hiccup.
As for the rest of me; that which is uneasy, hurt, and bruised - that can wait for another day. Today the priority of my heart is my son. And my two littles and wonderful husband who are with us on this journey.
God be with us and shine your face upon us. Let your beauty consume this life you have given. And in the face of fear, security be found - and confidence the reward of trusting.
#nurturecalls
How does one prioritize the issues of the heart? Prayer, crying, and talking it through can give us the needed release. But given the notion that we need to deal lovingly and sensibly with our heart's, how does one make sense of anything when it's bleeding. Mine's bleeding. It doesn't keep me from loving my kids and enjoying life with them but it's starting to come out in every day life. It's a fight I would rather not have to fight; Swallowing the rejection and choosing acceptance only in my children and husband. Being OK when things are not ok in my family. Finding peace outside of the friendships I have deeply trusted over the years and who are not so much there anymore. Encouraging my children to take opportunity and risk that I myself do not understand. Earnestly hoping for an understanding from my husband when we catch each other's eyes. You can only be so proactive with what's important in life. When the demands around you need your immediate attention survival sends you to reactive. Something always has to give. But that something is not easy to figure out.
The priority of my heart is sending my son to school tomorrow morning. We have talked about this day for months and now here it is. It seems nothing has had my heart more than this. I haven't been able to think or write about anything because this is the pressing issue of my heart that I would rather not talk about. The greatest change is about to take place for all of us. When responsible for my children, change has never been so hard. We will all be affected by this change. Somehow I have to reach deep within and find the strength enough for myself times three - three little faces who depend on me to set them up right in this world. I am scared. Very afraid of what I do not know - and what I do know. Encouraging my child to be confident and excited about all that's to come with school - I feel like I'm half lying by not telling him the whole truth. Yes good things come from school but so do some of the most damaging experiences in life. I cannot keep it from him. It pains me. . . . .
Faith brings on a whole new meaning when you are a Mom. I am trusting in God above to protect my little boy's heart as he experiences life outside of me and outside of his comfort zone. I no longer have control of what he does, who he talks to or what he sees. I will not be there when a peer or a teacher says something that hurts. He has to figure it out without me - and I hope to God when he finds comfort in me at the end of the day I can give him the support and attention he needs.
I do not want to be a victim of a bleeding heart. I hope and pray that when tomorrow comes His grace and mercy will cover our home. I hope that his first day of school is full of wonderful happenings for all of us and when something bad happens it just feels like a hiccup.
As for the rest of me; that which is uneasy, hurt, and bruised - that can wait for another day. Today the priority of my heart is my son. And my two littles and wonderful husband who are with us on this journey.
God be with us and shine your face upon us. Let your beauty consume this life you have given. And in the face of fear, security be found - and confidence the reward of trusting.
#nurturecalls
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)