Be emotionally honest.

It's a statement, like many statements, that is easier said than done. We can say it's important, but until we know what emotional honesty looks like, being told to partake in it isn't of much use to us; it's relatively frusterating.
Perhaps, like me, you've lived in a house where emotional honesty has been devalued and thereby, a little bit distorted. Maybe your dad yelled at you when you tried to speak up. Maybe a treasured friend didn't care. Maybe it just makes you feel weak and exposed. Whatever the case, you, like me, may have taken emotional honesty and allowed it to be twisted up until it started to look like an enemy. Please don't do that. What's happening in your heart is valid. It's important. And I/we want to be a part of it.

Emotional honesty means it's okay to express your heart. It's okay to have had a crappy day. I'm not glad that you did, but it's okay to tell me so. Emotional honesty means that when you feel hopeless in every way, or perplexed, frusterated, abandoned, excited, exuberant...you can speak it out. We need to know that we are not alone - we need to know that we are not going though these heartbeats alone.

If we can express our hearts, it means a lot. It means that others can hear you, and how often is it that we simply want to be heard? Not only that, but we can learn how to love you (forgive me, as I make mistakes in learning to do so), support you, cherish you, suffer with you, and rejoice with you. We can learn that we're not alone.

But if even that leaves you feeling like your honest emotions don't matter, consider the fact that we learn from each others stories. We were created for community. And we long for community.
In times when I have come alongside a hurting friend, when I have listened to anothers heart cry, I have learned infinitley more than I have ever on my own. I am sure that through sharing our stories we help each other. We begin to identify our behaviors and the ways of thinking behind them, to identify what is truth, and recieve healing.

Most importantly, it is good and valid and important to be emotionally honest, because we are called to, by our Creator and Friend. And if he deems it worth while, it must be.

And so because we are being honest, we can be ourselves. There is no reason to hide. Embrace knowing and being known! In bearing our hearts, lies can be exposed, and the truth of Christ spoken over. Because of that, for me anyway, emotional honesty means stepping toward freedom.

twloha blog - You matter very much.

i hope you know you're not the only one who feels the way you feel. You are not the only one who struggles. You are not the only one with questions. You are not crazy. You deserve to be heard, to be known. You deserve love.

You deserve love.

You deserve a place that feels like home. You deserve some hands to hold. Hands to pull you past the broken moments, hands to catch you when you fall. Eyes to see you. To say you're there, that you exist, that you change a room, that your presence is significant. Ears to hear you - hear your stories, hear you laugh. Ears to hear your questions and to say they matter.

Your questions matter.

Maybe call a friend today or invite someone to coffee. Tell someone they matter or tell someone you could use a conversation. Write a letter or ask someone how they're doing. Like a song too much. Feel the drums or get lost in the chorus. It means that you're alive.

It's good that you're alive. Who else could play your part?

i hope you get to a place, wake to a day, where that feels true. You deserve to know it's true.
To Write Love on Her Arms is a community of people with questions and struggles. It is for broken people and it is led by broken people. Life is heavy and light. Life is both. Beauty and pain, aches and dreams... We are saying that it's okay to talk about those things. We are saying that we need to. We are choosing to believe that stories deserve better endings. That hope is real, that help is real, that people need other people.

You are not alone today. You matter very much.

Peace to you.
jamie

I have an early shift tomorrow, but I can't sleep. Maybe it's all the chai I just drank, or maybe it's all the thoughts swirling in my head...probably both. Either way, I'm up.

This week has been fairly productive, in terms of relationship. Amidst quarrels and hard moments, there have been hearts and burdens shared - loads made lighter. Can't believe the great chances for talks that were opened up by that honesty.
Chances, too, for reconciliation. Though far from complete - steps are being made toward it, and that is so good. At the same time, lots of heart ache for relationships that have yet to be reconciled. In all of this, I am learning to be patient, forgiving (of others and even myself), faithful and genuine.
Even in incredible heartache, I am seeing how Christ longs for us to be reconciled to him. If I am longing for repaired relationship, how much more does he - who loves us so desperatley - long for restored relationship with us!

Moving day is coming incredibly fast. It's hard to believe I'll be a resident of Crofton, and of the Jones household, in under two weeks. GAH. It's exciting...I need to PACK!

"For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want." (Galatians 5:17)

There is a constant struggle between the old nature and the new in every believer's heart. The old nature is very active and loses no opportunity of plying all the weapons of its deadly armory against new-born grace. On the other hand, the new nature is ever on the watch to resist and destroy its enemy. Grace within us will emply prayer, faith, hope, and love to cast out evil. It puts on the "whole armor of God" and wrestles earnestly. These two opposing natures will never cease to struggle so long as we are in this world. With Jesus, who is always with us, the new-born nature is more than a match for its foes. Are you fighting with the adversary today? Are Satan, the world, and the flesh all against you? Do not be discouraged. Fight on! For God Himself is with you. Jehovah Nissi is your banner, and Jehovah Rophi is the healer of your wounds. You will overcome, for who can defeat omnipotence? Fight on, looking to Jesus. Although the conflict may be long and hard, the victory will be sweet. Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, assures us that we will eventually become more than conquerors through Him who loves us.

(Charles Spurgeon, Morning by Morning)