Who Are You? Do I Care?

Am I really the person that I appear to be on Facebook?  Am I the person I appear to be at a church function?  Am I really the person you see at the store?  At work?  With my family?

Are you?

It is easy to view someone through whatever narrow lens that we may know each other by.  Looking at my recent Facebook posts, you may think that I am consumed with running, very family-oriented, and have an odd sense of humor.  You may be right... or you may be wrong.  Do you really know me?  Do I really know you?

And do you care?  Do I care?

Are we content to know one another on some sort of surface-level and call it good?  We may even consider each other friends.  But is it enough?  Do we want it to be enough?

Each of us are much more than a collection of Facebook posts, small talk in the grocery store, or hanging out after a movie.  Each of us are complex people, made up of past experiences, genetics, and personalities.  We are a people who may long to be real and transparent, but are afraid to show our real selves.  We may want to open up, but remain closed.  We may try to be vulnerable, but pain quickly draws us inward.

Each of us have our issues.  Each of us can put up a facade for others.  Do those close around us know our fears, our pain, our insecurities, or our dreams?  Do we hide from opening up, content to keep those things to ourselves?

Do we want others to know that we are weak?  That we have struggles?  That everything may not be as it appears?  Or do we paint over the blemishes with a cheap coat of superficial paint?

These past few years have been the hardest of my life. I have shared some of it with some people.  Usually when I do, I discover that others have also been through very painful experiences, perhaps much more difficult than mine.  We all have pain.  We all need the grace of God in our lives.  We all need the grace of our friends and family in our lives.

As we start this new year, may we come to grips with who we are: our strengths, weaknesses, failures, and successes.  May we begin to appreciate each other - faults and all.  It is through our weaknesses, with a reliance upon Christ, that we can become strong.  It is when we become real with ourselves, our friends, and our Savior that we begin to find healing.  When we begin to look beyond ourselves and attempt to view our friends through Christ's eyes that we learn grace and forgiveness towards others.  Far easier said than done.  But that is a challenge for each of us, especially myself.

May this year be a year of healing, of being real, and of strengthening our relationships!