Gift of Vulnerability: Yesterday I was talking with a friend and I told him that I would like to be vulnerable for a moment and allow him to speak into my life on what I am feeling. This is someone that I deeply trust. His response was so encouraging and helped me to put things into perspective. It was helpful. This made me think that so often, we are sitting around hoping that someone will help, speak into our lives, etc. But if we have cultivated strong friendships, we can actually initiate conversations about our own weakness (i.e., hurt, insecurity, fears, etc.) instead of waiting for someone to “read our mind” and then step in with their words to fill the gap. Vulnerability paves the way for great intimacy, whether this is in marriage or our friendship. Who can you be vulnerable with? Who do you trust that much? If you do not have someone, who can you pursue? What social circles can you place yourself in so that this type of friendship has a chance of being planted in the soil of your life? At some point, vulnerability is the risk that you have to take to have close friendships.
Salt of the Sound: Recently, I discovered this band on Spotify. They sing many hymns in a somewhat ethereal manner. There are a few that I cannot stop listening to.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 