The Value in Vulnerability

Whenever I open up a magazine, I feel like I am inundated with messages like these: Don’t go out without pounds of makeup, you need to mask your imperfections. Don’t let them know you like that, or they will not be your friend. Don’t tell that person how you really feel, because you will only get hurt. This is what society has been telling us lately. In other words, if you want to be loved, don’t make yourself vulnerable. Wow. How backwards is that? The question I would pose to society is then how can you TRULY love someone, if you don’t even know who they TRULY are or they don’t know who you TRULY are? The answer is you don’t. Vulnerability is a huge part of love. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “Love is the free self-giving of the heart” (CCC 2346). In order to give someone your heart, you first have to have it open. This heart, open and exposed, is vulnerability at its finest. As children, it is easy for us to give our hearts, and to let ourselves be vulnerable in our love. Once we experience that initial heartbreak, however, this becomes one of the hardest things to do. Believe me, I have been there and am there; I am just as terrified as all of you. The thought of being vulnerable terrifies us beyond belief because we do not want to get hurt again, yet that does not stop us from feeling that desire to love. We still feel this desire because we are called to love like children, as we are children of God. This fear of being hurt, however, makes vulnerability and therefore love very difficult. Good thing we have God, who is so awesome and loving! God loves you perfectly, and He will NEVER stop loving you. If God even stopped thinking about you for even a millisecond, you would cease to exist. He loves you so much that He gave you this beautiful gift of life, a life called to love. God wants us to go to Him in our brokenness. He wants us to open our hearts to Him and be vulnerable to Him so that He can heal the pain and the brokenness. If we first open our hearts to God, we can then open our hearts to others. When we open our hearts to others, this act of vulnerability allows us to TRULY love them and allow them to TRULY love us. We just have to gather the courage to be vulnerable. If you don’t have that courage, don’t worry, God will provide it for you.  I think this cartoon depiction of an amazing C.S. Lewis quote sums up this post very well (sorry about all the weird sizing things!):

 Be vulnerable. When you make yourself vulnerable, you are able to freely give your heart. You are able to love. It is terrifying, but there is such a deep and profound value in vulnerability. Gather your courage and open your heart. Above all, make yourself vulnerable to the Lord. Go to the Cross, and lay down your heart. No matter how broken it may seem, God’s love will heal all the wounds and give you the courage to love as you are called to do.

Keep being vulnerable!

Your Sister In Christ,

Dani