Transparent

Sometime last year, a high school friend of mine, Rev. Melvin Brock, posted the following on Facebook.

“In order to be transformed, one must be transparent.”  

Brock stated that these words just dropped into his spirit. Reading them, I knew with certainty that they were meant just for me.  I have learned that there aren't many coincidences in life; things happen for a reason. Often God sends people your way to teach you something or provide you with something at a specific moment in time. It helps when the person bringing the message or lesson is someone you trust. I have known Brock for many years and that caused me to pause and read his words. He has always been someone who rarely spoke - unless he had something worth saying. So I paid attention.

As my new journey has begun, I seek clarity and new direction. With this new motivation, I am much more in tune with the noise around me. I look at who I am spending time with and what activities I spending time doing.  At the same time I struggle with the process transforming.  Being fully open, genuinely receptive and unguarded is not easy for me. My norm is to protect myself at all costs. The shell that I have allowed to form around me has taken many years to form. If I remain private, I can prevent myself from being hurt - at least that is what I thought. However, what I am learning is that I am missing out on the blessings that could be mine.

 While I am quick to be transparent with judgments or opinions, utilizing that behavior by sharing intimate details of my life is much more difficult. Being vulnerable is hard but I am learning the rewards associated with letting go. Slowly but surely I am putting myself into challenging situations that will cause me to be uncomfortable - transparent.  

Thank you Rev. Brock!