Man is not what he thinks he is, he is what he hides.
~~~~~~~~ Andre' Malraux
Privacy is one thing; secrecy quite another. Those things we call boundaries in our relationships often get reshaped in the process of recovery, as everyone learns to respect privacy, while also learning to listen and to earn trust. Among family and close friends, we all share certain thoughts and feelings that should stay within that select group.
But a secret that makes a relationship dishonest is destructive, and needs to see the light of day. We can't force someone else to be honest, but we CAN create an environment where honesty is not penalized by anger or withdrawal or resentment, but is instead rewarded by gratitude and trust. Those are the building blocks of intimacy.
Let us practice and encourage honesty. Let our "Yes" be Yes, and our "No" be No, and give others the safety to do likewise. James 5:12, with a little NT paraphrasing.
Blessings on this very fine Sunday. Sorry I was late today. Some days the words just don't look right, ya know?
NT
1 John 4:18
In memory of Allen Jones, who built honesty by first being honest with himself.
~~~~~~~~ Andre' Malraux
Privacy is one thing; secrecy quite another. Those things we call boundaries in our relationships often get reshaped in the process of recovery, as everyone learns to respect privacy, while also learning to listen and to earn trust. Among family and close friends, we all share certain thoughts and feelings that should stay within that select group.
But a secret that makes a relationship dishonest is destructive, and needs to see the light of day. We can't force someone else to be honest, but we CAN create an environment where honesty is not penalized by anger or withdrawal or resentment, but is instead rewarded by gratitude and trust. Those are the building blocks of intimacy.
Let us practice and encourage honesty. Let our "Yes" be Yes, and our "No" be No, and give others the safety to do likewise. James 5:12, with a little NT paraphrasing.
Blessings on this very fine Sunday. Sorry I was late today. Some days the words just don't look right, ya know?
NT
1 John 4:18
In memory of Allen Jones, who built honesty by first being honest with himself.
