Ah, my shocking blog title has drawn you in... success!
There is a thought-provoking quote by C.S. Lewis in his book entitled The Four Loves which says, "Eros will have naked bodies; Friendship (will have) naked personalities." According to Webster's, the word Naked is defined as "Not covered by clothing; lacking embellishment; unarmed and defenseless; and devoid of concealment or disguise."
As I was thinking about this quote today, I realized that there are a select few people who witness my naked personality. These individuals get to experience a personality that is raw, stripped down, simple, lacking in pretense or defenses.
They know a woman who:
Over-reacts.
Is entirely too sensitive.
Gets frazzled easily.
Is racked with insecurity.
Has a knack for awkwardness.
Speaks without thinking first (often, unfortunately).
Questions herself and her motives.
Worries.
Wonders what her life will be about.
However, these same people who deal with the crazy conversations, the emotionallly upheaved phone calls, and the over-blown situational scenarios also get to witness something else entirely.
See, these same people also know a woman who:
Desires God to use her.
Values loyalty.
Loves fiercely.
Feels deeply.
Gladly bears the burdens of others.
Enjoys a good story and hearty laugh.
Wants to make a difference in the lives of those she knows.
Dreams big.
I have discovered that without nakedness people get nothing. Sure, they don't have to expose themselves to criticism or rejection, but they also are never known and therefore, never know others. Friendship, as C.S. Lewis wrote about it and as God intended it to be, takes the good with the bad.
Nakedness/Vulnerability is terrifying, but it is also necessary. It is necessary for love (as an action--not as a flighty feeling) to develop. It is necessary for healing to take place. It is necessary for others as much as it is for ourselves. Because, C.S. Lewis also pointed something else out about relationships when he wrote, "Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: "What! You too? I thought I was the only one.”
I have a hard time believing that I am the only sensitive, over-reactor in the world. I have a hard time believing that I am the only one who sometimes feels insecure and less than enough.
I have a hard time believing that other people don't need to know that they are not alone.
So, the question is: Who have you been naked with lately?
