Ouch. That pit in the stomach. That twinge in your heart. That lump in the throat that threatens to erupt. Oh, the beautiful wounds of an honest friend who loves you enough to tell you the truth about yourself. And not just the broccoli in the teeth type stuff…
Uh huh. It happened to me this afternoon. A precious friend called me on a weakness that I struggle with. Called it what it was. And, honestly, it didn’t feel good at first. It is a dysfunction, a fear, an insecurity that I wrestle with. When I hear those three words, it reminds me that, although I’ve made progress in this area, I still have a long way to go. And my friend cared enough to tell me that this fear was something I needed to work on. Ugh. It was absolutely true. Which made it all the harder to hear.
My initial response? My throat got tight and my stomach formed a knot. I don’t like to hear when I’m wrong. At least not at first. I don’t like to know when I’m weak. Not initially any way. But you know what? By taking it in and examining the honest words, I begin to process their truth and start to acknowledge that this is an area of needed growth. And when that happens (sometimes faster than others) I am thankful. Thankful for people in my life who challenge me and tell me when I’m off base or just flat out wrong. Who challenge me to think differently, and to look honestly at my struggles. People who love me enough to care if I change my attitude or not. Because that’s how I grow. That’s how Jesus teaches me. That’s how I become just a fraction more like Him in how I think, respond and react.
So, thank you, dear friend, and all friends who do this for me. Like Proverbs 27:6 says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” Thanks for the owie. It hurt real good…..
