“T” is for Transparent

I love word games. I loved when teachers in elementary school would give us assignments to create an acrostic of our names, using words that describe ourselves. I’ve always had a decent vocabulary, so even though there were some challenging letters in my name and many duplicate letters, I easily found words that aptly described me: “jolly,” sometimes, or “jubilant,” or even, “jumpy.” There was one letter that seemed to stump me a lot, though: the letter T. It was on my last name (now my middle name), and I was never satisfied with my options.

Ticklish? Terrified? Tremendous? I don’t think so.

In recent months, though, I’ve figured out what that pesky T stands for. I never knew it before because it hadn’t yet been revealed as a part of who I am.

Transparent.

And I am. Like a window. You can see right through me because I don’t try to hide anything. That’s the point. Windows let light in, and that's how I survive. Without light, I'll die.

I’ve just learned that hiding my struggles or pretending that they aren’t there makes them worse. They are allowed to grow and run rampant when they are hidden in the dark recesses of my private life; when brought into the light, though, and allowed to be shared with others, they begin to wither. They start to wilt and break apart. Exposed to the brightness of Christ-centered relationships, the darkness and suffering of this world cannot survive.

So I’ll continue being transparent. I’ll share everything on my mind. I’ll let you know who I really am and what’s really going on in my life, because life is too short to pretend to be someone other than who I am. The only thing I can do well is be myself, and I am jolly. I am enthusiastic, silly, and a bit sensitive. I am sometimes intense, try to be caring, and strive to be authentic. And I am transparent.

(I am also a real Georgia girl….hence the picture of the peaches. Love ‘em.)