I’m participating in my first Five Minute Friday. The deal: write for five minutes – ONLY FIVE – on the give topic and then hit publish. No second guessing. No editing. Just writing. Somebody hold me. {How appropriate that my first topic is Bare, because I feel JUST THAT now.} You can find out more and read the loveliest FMF posts ever over at Lisa-Jo’s lovely blog!
Here goes…
Bare.
I used to think being bare – soul bare – was embarrassing. Who wants everyone to know the REAL truth about them?
To me, bare was hard. Who wants to be that vulnerable, letting people see all that they really are?
Bare was just for a chosen few. Only those closest to me would want to know the real me, soul laid bare, right?
WRONG.
Bare is not hard.
Putting up walls and keeping up appearances of perfection is hard.
The real me, bare for all to see, is strong and has nothing to hide. No worry about being “found out.” The bareness is freeing because it BEING. WHO. I. AM.
Being bare leads to community. Covering up our imperfections also prevents real relationship from being formed.
My bare soul before the Lord is the most refreshing thing I have ever felt.
I love this new “bare.”
{STOP}
I'm Erin, a wife, boy mom x 3, writer, and runner in Nebraska! I'm excited to share all my favorites relating to faith, family, fashion, and fitness in this space! Enjoy! 
Putting up walls and keeping up appearances of perfection is hard. This is so true! Thank you for this and be blessed:)
Thanks Jennifer! Blessings to you as well!
Hard and communal…so true. Maybe we spend our whole lives learning this. In every new moment, we have to discover how to uncover ourselves to each other (I’m really not a poet, I just couldn’t resist!).
You are so right about the amount of work it takes to be someone we are not supposed to be. There is a reason that we are who we are, and we should rejoice in our strengths and embrace even our weaknesses. I am turning 40 in a couple of months, and I have finally given myself permission to bare my true self, and yes, it is somewhat scary but a whole lot more freeing.
Scary is true! I love that you’re giving yourself permission despite the fears!
Thanks for writing this! I read Amanda’s and then yours which pushed me to write my own post. Thank you for being such an encouragement to me. I read all of your posts in my inbox and you have really helped to shape who I am as a woman of God. Keep it up!
Oh Tara, tears of blessing from your comment today! Thank you dear. It is all Him and I’m so glad we’re growing together!
So glad you joined FMF! It’s such a great place to hang out. 🙂
I used to think that being “bare”…truly being the real me…was a hard thing to do , especially in blog world. But there’s a strange, beautiful freedom that comes from being real, sitting back, and watching God work. It’s pretty incredible to see the community He has created through women who have chosen to do just that. 🙂 LOVE this post…blessings!
Thank you so much Mel! And YES! The community that comes from our bareness is incredible! What a gift from Him for us just being who He created us to be!