known

I want to write a little about knowing and being known. This is part one. These posts will be short since most of us have the attention span of a goldfish…22 seconds. (According to Ted Lasso)

Jesus answered, “Don’t you know me Philip, even after I have been with you such a long time?”

I have learned that we can spend our entire lives with others and still not know them; for our time is mostly lived in the shallows. How can it be that we can go through our days alongside of others–at work, at home, at play, and yet not be familiar with the deepest corners?

I think that one of our greatest longings is to know and be known. Many of us, honestly, are probably a little afraid of being known. We become a little nervous of what others might find…or even what we might find… once the sheet is yanked off; once the masquerade ball is over and everyone must remove their masks and costumes to expose the person beneath.

Often, I hide my true self behind the imposter I’ve created…a stand in. Someone who can pull off the stunts I’m too scared to try and make me look good doing it. Other times I craft this fake-ass Instagram personality that I want the world to see and know. But really, that’s only a small fraction of my true self, if anything.

I admit that there is a part of me that wants people to see my life and envy it to some degree. At its core, isn’t that why anyone posts anything on social media…so that others will envy us and be impressed? They usually aren’t…and honestly the world probably does not care. Sorry.

My intention these days is to take a risk and be my true self. I want to let people see who I really am…the good, bad, ugly; the messy, the beautiful, etc. It is so hard.

I’m throwing my bet down with the hunch that in doing so, the people that truly love me will stick around. The others…they will find some other circus to go see. But the ones that are my true friends, will stay. These are the ones that can be trusted…they aren’t going anywhere. These are the people worth taking the journey with.