---VISIBLE VULNERABILITY~~

--"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one
another in love." ~~(Ephesians 4:2) -

--AS I ventured out several weeks after shoulder surgery, I was fearful. I had become comfortable using my arm sling, but my physical therapist told me to stop wearing it. That's when I saw this statement: "At this stage, sling wear is discouraged except as a visible sign of vulnerability in an uncontrolled environment."

Ah, that was it! I feared the enthusiastic person who might give me a bear hug or the unaware friend who might bump me accidentally. I was hiding behind my flimsy baby-blue sling because I feared being hurt.

Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable can be scary. We want to be accepted for who we are, but we fear that if people truly knew us, they might reject us.

But as members of God's family, we have a responsibility to help each other grow in faith. We're told to "encourage one another," to "build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11), to be "patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

When we are vulnerable with other believers, we will share the wonder of God's gift of grace in our lives. ~~

--ODB/CH~--"What If I Gave Everything" / Casting Crowns~ / <https://youtu.be/tP27ySgbYLU>
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