ok, so maybe technically I’ve already written about this here.

but I found this note in my phone, based on a talk I had just heard by Rebekah Lyons at Love Does last year.

and I just keep thinking, it’s the truth.

I was feeling pretty down recently, and my friend Candance sent me a text saying something like this,

“I’m not a writer like you but I crave being vulnerable with people in my life. I feel like God is growing our influence here with our church! Your story and blog encourage me so much. I’m also so thankful I can encourage my husband to be the same. He just talked on Thursday to our core group about wanting to be a vulnerable leader so that the people at our church can feel free to be the same. That’s your influence girl.”

I don’t tell you that to toot my own horn.  I’m just saying!  if you want your people to be VUNERABLE, YOU START IT!!!!

I’m doing this “fit for fall” challenge, and before we started we had to post pictures of ourselves pre-challenge.  ummm scary.  but once someone was vulnerable and brave to post, everyone did.  it was safe then.

I’m on a group text with all my best college gals, and one of our friends is always the first to open up and be so real about how hard motherhood is.  my favorite is when she sent us a video of her messy house.  you better believe the texts rolled in by the hundreds for three days solid after that.

this summer, while in Rwanda for #StyleForJustice, we got to sit around a room with IJM clients moms and share our stories.  share a burden and a blessing.  I’ll never forget the words spoken to me by my friend Jennie afterwards – she told me that after I opened up so vulnerably with the women, they opened up!  they felt safe, they felt like they could also share the deepest hurts in their story.  that was a moment I’ll never forget [and I’m sure will share more about later]. ** posted a little about this over on the carry camp blog today**

my point…

be vulnerable.

let people into your junk.

be real.

build it and they will come.

have you seen this kind of vulnerability take shape once someone starts?