Just Being Honest

I sat nervously waiting as I sipped my iced latte, what was today going to look like? How would this affect our relationship? What does "community" after this meeting look like? Do I be real and honest with her? Or fake and keep things surface? These are all thoughts as I waited on a lady who I have a ton of respect for to come and meet me for mentoring, as a wife, as a mom, as a believer, as a follower, and as a leader. I thought about, since I know how to keep someone from getting to close to me, was to just ask her questions about her and then it would keep her at bay. Maybe this way we wouldn't have to deal with the harder, or should I say more personal, issues I am dealing with (just in general, please do not jump to any conclusions that something terrible is going on in my life). Time passed as we talked about who had our kids, and what sort of day we were having and then....she asked it. "So what are you hoping to really get out of this time of mentorship?" It was a good question, after all I had pursued her originally, I just never thought she would pursue back, but she did and now here we sat. The meeting went on and I shared some of my struggles and thoughts and what God had been chipping away at in my life, she was honest with me, and that alone made me feel safe. I learned that we shared the same struggles, it is just that she is older and has figured a little more out than me. At the beginning of the meeting I thought about just "pretending" which I can be good at, but why?? Why do we pretend? Why aren't we real with other believers about what we are struggling with?? You see, I have found that in the moments we choose authenticity with another believer about "insert issue here" then God usually provides someone to help us, to walk beside us, and to point us to Him. Being honest can be scary, but if we are always pretending then we will never really change what is really going on...the deeper issue.