If I can be honest with you, it's been a fight for me to be open in my relationships. To know somebody and to be known by them hasn't been easy. And love? Giving and receiving love has been even more difficult.
Why do you think that is? Why are so many of us afraid to be ourselves in public and to stop pretending to be what we're not? Why do we cringe at the first sight of vulnerability? Why are we so often left feeling embarrassed or alone or afraid or disillusioned? Are we afraid that our truest selves are unlovable? Do we fear rejection? Something else? And if so, why do we go on romanticizing this idea of perfect love?
Have we simply been tricked by Hollywood or is there something more to this?
I believe that human intimacy plays a vital role to our physical, mental, and spiritual health, and to the health of our relationships. This involves being known by those around us. It involves receiving love from others and the ability to give love as well.
If we're being honest with ourselves, this is one of the central realities of our existence! And it would do us damage to avoid it (I know firsthand that this is true). I've spent so much time running away from relationships and it's never gone well for me. Isolation has never produced the quality of relationships that I'm truly searching for... aching for.
That said, I'd like to tell you about Scary Close, a book I'm reading on intimacy. It was written by Donald Miller and explores the delicate subject in a very personal way. It's been described as Miller's 'coming out of public isolation' and has already been helpful in my pursuit of wholeness, openness, and my desire for healthy relationships.
Please watch the video below (it's just so important that we understand this). Or if you'd simply like some free music from the book... a soundtrack of sorts... click here.
And finally, since it's Valentine's Day, I want to encourage you to explore the reality of the human heart. Take some time to consider what in the world we're all doing on this planet together. I believe it's all about intimacy, my friend. But it's a narrow road ahead and there's still more to learn.
