Prodigal Ponderings — mental health RSS

My wife and I took a ride the other day to purchase a load of wood.  Our journey took us eastward through the "foothills" area of the north Georgia mountains.  Once past the multi-lane congestion of Atlanta, we wound our way through the picturesque countryside on the way to our destination. It was a beautiful early Fall day. The destination turned out to be a workshop full of some prime hardwood which was being sold in preparation for closing out the shop.  The owner, a very pleasant and industrious young man was preparing to pursue missionary work in Africa in a few months.  He patiently took the time to let us look through his wood supply and make our selections....

In a previous post I talked about how we have to be willing to initiate transparency.  Sharing our deeper hurts or struggles can be risky, but it’s the bedrock for a meaningful relationship.  While doing work in the prison I didn’t ask anyone what they did wrong to get incarcerated, instead I shared my own past failures that would have or should have landed me a seat next to theirs.   Transparency makes us vulnerable and sometimes others don't reciprocate. I’ve had times when others used what I shared with them against me, but as I stated before, who was the loser? If I am willing to take the risk first, then I open the door to an honest exchange...