Can you imagine a week without fear of rejection or worry? Just, completely without anxiety or being nervous? You weren’t afraid of whether someone would reject you, that you would be judged, or that you wouldn’t do a good job. You weren’t afraid to lean into something.
When we lean in, we have to be willing to fall flat on our faces if something doesn’t catch us. We have to be willing to lean in, even if the person, company, or whatever doesn’t lean back. The problem is that when we put ourselves in that vulnerable position, there is no guarantee that we will come out without bumps and bruises. Unfortunately, nothing and no one is obligated or required to lean into us, to lean back.
When we risk that vulnerability, we are risking hurt and pain for something much greater. We are risking falling on our faces and getting some bruises for the chance of something wonderful: love, connection, belonging. We risk getting hurt because the pain of isolation is far worse than the pain of falling a few times. And the reward is so sweet that the pain becomes a simple bump in the road. Vulnerability and authenticity are vital for connection, for intimacy, for relationships.
The absolutely brilliant thing about God though, is that, no matter how many times we lean in or lean out, He is always leaning in ten times harder. There is no risk of rejection or judgment. There is no chance of us leaning in, of us being vulnerable, and falling flat on our faces. Because He also takes two steps towards us when we take one. Now, this might not always look like how we want it. It is not pain free or without us making mistakes along the way. But the thing that our hearts long for, that unconditional love, is available to us.
So available to us that all we have to do is lean just a little, just a tiny baby step forward into connection with God, and we become washed in a never-ending river of love, peace, and joy.