I never wanted to be on Facebook.  In order to be a professional speaker, I was told, I HAD to have a Facebook account and  begin networking with others.  The memory is forever seared in my brain of when a friend came over to help me set up my Facebook account.  I was terrified.

Why was it so hard for me? There were people out there who had hurt me. And I didn’t want to be hurt again.

I am on Facebook because it’s a way that I can reach and encourage others, and let people know about my writing and speaking ministry. But honestly, if I had my druthers, I would hide out at home, like a turtle, never sticking my head out. Alone. And safe.

But I’m not.
I’m here.
I’m obeying God.
And I’m “putting myself out there” in order to connect with others.

But I will confess. Sometimes I still hide.

“How do you hide,” you ask? “You are posting things publicly on Facebook.”

“Yes,” I reply. “You see my life. But you can’t see ME.”

I’ve learned that I can hide behind pictures of my children and my garden and my husband’s prophetic art. If I add in a Bible verse graphic or two, there’s a weeks worth of Facebook posts.

 

And you didn’t see me at all.

Sometimes I hide.

I hide because when I am brave and vulnerable enough to let people in to see the real me, I get hurt.

Nasty, sarcastic comments hurt me.  Being misunderstood hurts me.  And certainly being left out hurts.  And so I hide.

We all long for people to love us just like we are. To love our imperfections. To love where we lack. To love our quirkiness and odd sense of humor and crazy ideas we have. To love us in our weakness and brokenness and failure.

Our hearts cry, “Please love me. Please, let me be enough for you. Please don’t hurt me.”

When we poke our heads out of our shells, sometimes we get hurt. Good Lord, I have, and often that hurt turns into a blog post, just like this one.

But even though our reaction to being hurt is to hide, dear one, we can’t hide forever.

God made us to connect with each other. God made us to share the messiness of life together and to walk alongside one another in the good and the bad.  We are to bear one another’s burdens.  How can we do that if we are hiding?  How can we let people help us and how can we help others if we are hiding?

Friend, even if you’ve been hurt when you let people see the real you, be brave and come out again. Don’t hide forever! The world needs what you have to offer. Take a risk and share who you really are. We want to see the real you.

Because when we see the real you, we are brave enough to let you see who we are underneath all the hiding.

Beloved, please don’t hide behind cat videos and recipes and funny memes. I want to see you. The real you. The broken and in process you.  Seeing you be brave will give me the courage to be brave, too.  Because I’m just like you.

Don’t hide.  Let’s be real together.

PS If you enjoyed reading this or it helped you, please take the time to comment, share, and spread the joy. Your comments and shares are very important to me! Thanks in advance. 

Sharing is caring. If this post encouraged you, will you share it on Facebook so that it could bless your friends,too? Thanks for helping me to reach more struggling women with encouragement, hope, and grace.