D
donnacoen
Guest
If you’re anything like me, you spend a lot of time, energy, and money wrapping and decorating Christmas gifts, just perfectly, no two the same, with bows and ribbon, just the right color paper. It has to be beautiful. For most women, it’s not just about the gift, it’s about the presentation.
Now imagine AFTER all the packages are unwrapped and the true gift inside is revealed. What does your living room look like? One word comes to mind – A MESS!
Well, that’s what happens in life sometimes.
When we begin to relate to others in small group on a regular basis, trust begins to develop. Community begins to take shape. There comes a time when the wrapping paper that we so carefully keep our true selves covered by begins to be removed.
When that happens, it can look like Christmas morning, very messy.
When we decide to get real and ask God to come and then allow him to come . . . Lo and behold, HE comes, in a powerful way.
I can only speak for myself, but as the gift wrapping begins to be removed from my wounded spirit, it gets messy.
Personally, I don’t want that pretty wrapping to come off. I’ve worked really hard at making myself look presentable, look inviting, look like a gift that someone would WANT. Removing the wrapping might reveal something so real and unattractive, that they’d want to put me back under the tree or worse, exchange me for something better, more valuable! That fear is almost too much to face.
Fortunately for me, in my community of faith, that didn’t happen. I was encouraged to remove the wrapping and promised I’d still be loved. I pretty much shook my head at that one. I was sure they didn’t understand HOW UNATTRACTIVE this package really was!!! But, amazingly, within the safety and love of a committed group, with very slow, deliberate baby steps, I was able to do just that, and instead of being rejected, I was loved! That's what Christian community is all about. Let's get unwrapping!
Now imagine AFTER all the packages are unwrapped and the true gift inside is revealed. What does your living room look like? One word comes to mind – A MESS!
Well, that’s what happens in life sometimes.
When we begin to relate to others in small group on a regular basis, trust begins to develop. Community begins to take shape. There comes a time when the wrapping paper that we so carefully keep our true selves covered by begins to be removed.
When that happens, it can look like Christmas morning, very messy.
When we decide to get real and ask God to come and then allow him to come . . . Lo and behold, HE comes, in a powerful way.
I can only speak for myself, but as the gift wrapping begins to be removed from my wounded spirit, it gets messy.
Personally, I don’t want that pretty wrapping to come off. I’ve worked really hard at making myself look presentable, look inviting, look like a gift that someone would WANT. Removing the wrapping might reveal something so real and unattractive, that they’d want to put me back under the tree or worse, exchange me for something better, more valuable! That fear is almost too much to face.
Fortunately for me, in my community of faith, that didn’t happen. I was encouraged to remove the wrapping and promised I’d still be loved. I pretty much shook my head at that one. I was sure they didn’t understand HOW UNATTRACTIVE this package really was!!! But, amazingly, within the safety and love of a committed group, with very slow, deliberate baby steps, I was able to do just that, and instead of being rejected, I was loved! That's what Christian community is all about. Let's get unwrapping!
