John 15:15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
It's Friday before Labor Day and the weekend is longer than normal. A small trip away and some time with my minions (my new favorite term for my kids) to visit the man I love and very possibly my best friend ever. Getting away is great and spending time with my kids away is even better but seeing him is the best.
I don't use the words best friend lightly, because I've known a lot of people in my short lifetime and called many friend, the definition of that word is significant to me. In this world its far too easy to claim the title friend. The list of people I know on Facebook currently totals 863 and they are called friends. That includes quite a few who are family and many who know me well but a whole lot of them that have the name "friend" really would be more accurately defined as acquaintances, associates or people I know. In some ways that's a sad statement to make but the reality is that as we grow and change in life our relationships do and should as well. The one relationship that should grow closer and deeper is our relationship with the Father. We should want more and more and more of Him.
Of those people who have the title friend in my life a handful of those are truly close friends. They know my heart. They hopefully see the real me and not the one who puts her makeup on every morning to look acceptable to the world. You see we all have the person behind the mask - the one who no one really sees. That person the Father calls friend and was willing to send His Son to die for. The ugly me that thinks scary thoughts and sometimes lets those out in ugly words.
In one of the many devotionals I was reading this morning it talked about being able to drop in at a friend's house pretty much in your pajamas and not care that you look like you rolled out of bed. If only we could feel that transparent and comfortable when we walk into our churches on Sunday morning. Obviously I wouldn't be comfortable worshipping in my pajamas at church (at home maybe) but if I was that transparent and without my mask at church it would draw the broken so much better than with my mask. As church goers we need to let go of the mask and be believers who are broken so those who see us can see that yes we are broken but by God's grace we are healed. Because I don't think anyone wants to come to a church where the perfect people are always perfect. We all have our imperfections. We just cover them in nice clothes, good makeup or a mask.
Of my closer friends there are even a couple who know the ugliness of my soul and still call me friend. They've seen me in my deepest sin and challenged me or loved me through it. Those are the ones who helped shape my faith by holding me accountable and drawing me back to my loving Father.
My prayer for today is that God would continually give me the courage to be transparent. Not necessarily telling all to the world but not being afraid to share that I'm not perfect but my healer is. I want to be someone that people can say what you see is what you get. She isn't fake or phony. She's not perfect but that's okay because each morning she starts new like the sun rising in the sky and begins again - hopefully improving each day.
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