There was a single tear, and I knew we were on sacred ground, but there was a decision to be made. I chose to linger and listen. I was talking with a man in his eighties the other day when I noticed a tear forming in his eye. I knew […]
Vulnerability
20 posts
They were too naked in their vulnerability. Too much too soon, but with careful listening, time, and respect, they began to feel deeply known. They had been too naked with their vulnerability. They thought they were safe with this friend, that what they shared wouldn’t be exposed. But it was […]
We all have a secret garden. A place we don’t want others to go near, but with three little words, we can build a bridge and not a wall. I had been having a conversation with someone, and then suddenly, I felt the protection of a wall. The conversation changed, […]
If you knew me, would you still love me? We all need others who will be strong enough to handle what comes from the inner world of each other. When they had opened up, they looked at me and wondered if I would reject them. So many others had. I […]
Men aren’t talking, but they need to. We need to enter the cave of man’s mind and encourage him to talk. Words flow when we listen well. It was early in the morning, and I was driving to the first job of the day. The day was starting dark, cold, […]
When trouble comes, we can quickly isolate ourselves, but there needs to be an invitation to go deep and connect. God sets the lonely in families. We need others who will tag along and pray with us. It must have been a very lonely place. He had done everything he […]
‘If you really knew me, would you still love me?’ A grounded reality of knowing God speaks ‘You are loved no matter what’.
For some reason we prefer fabricated realities to the
strong and sensitizing face of what is.
The spiritual life begins with accepting and
living our reality. Richard Rohr
I know someone who lies and embellishes the truth. They want to be known and loved but the facade of lies they have built up around themselves has become their truth.
Sometimes, when they feel safe, they let their guard down and the honesty flows. It’s beautiful to watch.
No one likes being truly honest about the reality of a Mental Illness. Progress happens when we get real and learn to understand what truly is going on. John had been to see the psychologist for some personality tests for upcoming career changes. When the psychologist just dropped into the […]
It’s the covert way that male depression hides that makes it scary. The blind spot that men can get taken out by. Men need ‘listening’ friends where they feel safe enough to tell their stories. It was like a fog was being lifted off around my brain. I was able […]
To be known is to be pursued, examined, and shaken. To be known is to be pursued, examined, and shaken. To be known is to be loved and to have hopes and even demands placed on you. It is to risk, not only the furniture in your home being rearranged, but […]