Yesterday at church (Encounter), Brian started a new series called “release” about letting go of pain, anger, bitterness, etc and giving it up to God. He is using the new Spiderman 3 movie as an illustration…it shows how bitterness or anger can overtake you and consume your thoughts and actions. It was a very good message and can’t wait for future weeks messages. After the message, Brian invited us up to get a “pain card” and drop it on the table up front that had a crown of thorns on it….showing our release of the pain and us giving it up to Christ. I was thinking, I don’t have any bitterness, anger or pain towards anyone…I guess that’s a good thing, no one has hurt me. But as I continued to think about it, I thought, it’s not that no one has hurt me before, it’s that I have never let anyone hurt me before. I never let people get close enough to hurt me or cause me pain. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want it, but if I don’t ever let people get close enough to me, is that just as bad? Which one is worse — letting people in and actually getting to know you with the possibility of getting hurt or not letting people in and never getting hurt? What do you think?
one is safe and secure, but also potentially lonely and purposesless. I speak out of personal experience. I too wrestle with vulnerability and openness. I have to remind my self often – if their not close enough to see me for who I am, then I’m not close enough to see who they really are.
Christ took the step – I should follow.
I have been a lot better recently and realized that if I don’t let anyone in, I will live in a lonely, shut out world. Not fun!