Choosing Authentic Means Choosing Brave
Her eyes widened as she moved her chair closer to the table.
The crowded coffee shop had not deterred her from being open and honest. Now, it was my turn.
This young girl in her twenties tried to conceal her surprised expression. “I thought you wouldn’t understand, Karen. I imagined your childhood and life near perfect.”
Oh, how wrong her sentiments. Truth is, we held much in common. We both experienced a troubling upbringing, one affecting our life as adults.
When a parent abandons a child physically or emotionally, they leave behind a broken life and heart.
As I opened up to my coffee-shop friend, pain from my past spilled out as tears. In the most vulnerable way, I conveyed how I spent part of my childhood with one parent absent and the other present, but just in the physical sense.
The emotional support a child so desperately needs to give health and wholeness to her soul, remained at zero.
My friend and I shared a similar story. Since Christ is our common denominator, He used our story to spur one another on in the faith. Not only through “me too,” but also through “here is how Jesus helped me overcome and gain the victory.”
An authentic voice helps others and holds the power to heal us.
When we authentically share our story, our dreams, our soul-wounds, our heart-cries, and even our faith-struggles, something powerful happens.
Authenticity makes us comfort ambassadors.
Read the rest of this article and find out the top three most powerful things about authentic bravery over at Crystal Twaddell’s blog in her series, Made for Brave. Please share and leave a comment there.
Sometimes I participate in these link-ups:
Jaime Wiebel/#SittingAmongFriends, Crystal Twadell/Fresh Market Friday, Kelly Balarie/Purposeful Faith, Patricia Holbrook/Soaring With Him, Meghan Weyerbacher/TeaandtheWord, Lyli Dunbar/#FaithOnFire & Crystal Storms/Heart Encouragement.
© 2018 by Karen Friday, All rights reserved
Love, love, love this! Powerful things happen when we get vulnerable and share our stories and our struggles. God uses them because they aren’t just ours, they are His. He can redeem them and make them beautiful, just like this post. Thank you for sharing, Karen. My childhood was rough as well. I love my mom, and I know she did the very best she could for us, but growing up was hard for me. My dad left and remarried. The man my mom remarried was abusive. By God’s grace we made it through. So thankful for His love.
Thank you, Heather. Yes, our stories do belong to the Lord. He redeems every hurt and all that they cost us. May we continue to let Him rewrite our story for our good and His glory. Thanks for sharing your authentic voice. Glad the Lord brought you through with His love and grace. Blessings! 🙂
Karen, such a good reminder – brave is a hiding place – and this is why authentic is so important “Authenticity makes us comfort ambassadors.” I love that – I certainly need it in my life and want to be it for others.
Paris, I want to be an intentional comfort ambassador. And you are so right, instead of hiding our tears and putting on a brave face, “brave is a hiding place.” Thanks for commenting.
I love how God gives us stories that we can share to encourage others! Even though we all have pain, nothing is wasted!
Exactly, Emily. When we authentically share our story, our dreams, our soul-wounds, our heart-cries, and even our faith-struggles, something powerful happens.
God gave us the stories so we could share and help others. Those “me too” moments provide such an open door for Christ’s healing. You stories hold such power to show us how to be “comfort ambassadors”. Thanks
Yes, Yvonne. “Me too” but also through “here is how Jesus helped me overcome and gain the victory.” Then we really spur each other on in the faith building trust in God.
What a beautiful example of 2 Corinthians 1:3-5.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
I also love how you included, “and even our faith-struggles.” Sometimes I think that may be the hardest in Christian circles. To admit we are having faith struggles. But being real and authentic opens the opportunity for real ministry to our hurting hearts, to other’s hurting hearts, and paves the way for true healing.
Love this post.
I know, Stephanie. Sometimes sharing those faith-struggles takes us the greatest distance in Christian authentic relationships. Authenticity unveils the real “me” in Christ and tears down any pretensions I’ve set up.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Karen. This is beautiful and it challenges me to be less reluctant to share the real me. I mean, I put myself out there, but not always during those times when I know I should. I love your application of 2 Cor 1:3-5 – “Authenticity makes us comfort ambassadors.” Thank you for this post.
We all relate to the feeling of holding back, Stephen. “An authentic voice helps others and holds the power to heal us.” 🙂 Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Beautiful! When Christ is at the center, we can be brave.
Melissa, thank you. Yes, brave. When we authentically share our story, our dreams, our soul-wounds, our heart-cries, and even our faith-struggles, something powerful happens.
Dear Karen!
I agree with Heather’s comment here. It’s when we put ourselves into the areas of life where it hurts because we share with honesty that things start to happen.
We can use those stories to tell others about the glory of God, inspiring them to get to know Him.
With love!
Edna Davidsen
Hey Edna, Yes, so true!
Authenticity in telling our story is a powerful tool to reach others and make a difference in their lives. And an authentic voice unveils the real “me” in Christ and tears down any pretensions I’ve set up. It makes for real relationships.
Karen,
Yes! God never wastes our stories or our hurts. Even though authenticity can be a bit scary, I’ve found people feel more comfortable sharing their own stories when we open up our own first. This also leaves open a door for sharing what the Lord has done in our lives.
Hey Beckie,
People do feel more comfortable sharing their own story when we go first. It’s such a beautiful and biblical picture of community. Real. Authentic. Soulful. 🙂
Blessings!
Karen, we tend to think others are so much less wounded or whole than we see ourselves. Authenticity is healing. Thanks for sharing your story.
That’s a good way to put it, Debbie. Because things and people aren’t always what they seem and behind appearances we often find a different story. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Yes, they sure do, Karen 🙂
🙂
Yes, yes, yes!