Maybe I’m writing this because I am still on a high from my small group a couple days ago—or maybe because my pastor has been preaching on it for the last three weeks—but I think it’s high time that we all start ripping our hearts open. 

I have been reflecting on how easy it is as a culture to close ourselves off. I think we can easily go through life having nothing but superficial conversation. How easy is it for someone to see someone they might even be close to and having  ”hey, how are you? Fine. How are you? Fine.” kind of conversation? In turn, we end up bottling up the smallest—all the way to the biggest things. 

Two nights ago, twelve of us spent nearly three hours encouraging each other. We literally went around the room one by one, and just told each person how we felt about them, just to make them feel good. You could feel the warmth in the room. It was an amazing feeling, being blessed and blessing others. To see tears flow and to see eyes light up, and to see people really get in touch with their true identities is incredible. 

This doesn’t just apply to encouragement though. It also applies to other things, like confession. This is a hard one. I mean, it’s our nature as humankind to not tell people things. Even people we trust. As children, when you are doing something wrong, and you get called out on it, what do you do? Lie about it? Check. Run and hide because you know you are guilty? Check. Blame someone else? Check. From our childhood, we are ingrained with this type of mentality. If you are doing something that goes against what you believe at your very core (or what you were taught to believe), you don’t tell anyone about it. Because then you might be embarrassed, or get into trouble.

Or maybe someone might think a little less of you. 

The thing we don’t see, from that early age on into adult life, is that if we DO just come out with it, with what we did—or who we are—the understanding usually flows like a river. At least the consequences aren’t as high.

If I told my mom that I was doing “X”, maybe my punishment would be “y” instead of “Y”.

If I told my best friend that I am struggling with “X”, maybe my heart will be healed in “y”-time instead of “Y”-time. 

Dustin Kensrue of Thrice said it best in my opinion: “But until then all of our scars will still remain, but we’ve learned that if we’ll open the wounds and share them then soon they start to heal. As long as we live, every scar is a bridge to someone’s broken heart, and there’s no greater love than that one shed his blood for his friends.”

Let’s do this together. Let’s open wide our hearts. Let’s be a little more vulnerable, even if it stings a bit.