January 17, 2009
Genesis 2:25 The man and the woman were both naked, but they were not embarrassed
Matthew27:35
They crucified him and then divided his clothes among them by throwing dice.

Greetings my Friend,

Junior and I go to the gym several days a week. We love water aerobics, so I need to change my clothes. If I don’t have my suit on under my clothes, I tend to find a dressing room with doors to dress for the pool I am a private person in this regard.
I often think about Jesus’ death. One of the things I ponder about Jesus’ dying is that He was hung on a hill so that He could be seen for miles. He had no clothes on. He hung naked on the cross. NAKED! Yikes.
After that initial reaction, I begin to ponder this. When Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, God killed a lamb and then made clothes for them to wear. God was not happy; He cared for them as well. I marvel at this act of compassion and kindness. God could have thrown them out and said “Goodbye.” Instead God clothed them.
“For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” John 3:16. God/Jesus was willing to die a horrible death. He was willing to bear all our sin, to be naked about his love for us. I am amazed each time I think about this.
Being naked about my feelings is very hard. When I am honest and share, I open myself up for criticism, for ridicule or some other very vulnerable action. It is hard for me to be a totally open person. I want to be. I tend to tell too many secrets. Growing up in my home, we had all kinds of things that weren’t to be discussed outside our home.

I remember telling someone about the dirty dishes we had. Our family often left the dishes on the table over night. We even left the milk on the table and Dad put it away in the morning. I had many a sick stomach because of spoiled food not put away. My mother was angry for me telling this. We pretended that we kept a clean and orderly home. Dishes were not always done either. I remember doing a sink full of dishes and mold was growing on the dishes. When I told about this, I also got yelled at. I was confused about what was to be discussed and what was not.
When I met Junior one of the first things I told him was that I had a hard time keeping secrets. I had decided that I wanted to face life head on and not pretend that I lived a perfect life. If Junior had a secret, then he shouldn’t tell me.

I have learned that everyone does not need to know every detail. Still, I tend to tell too much. God loved us so much that He hung naked on a tree. I marvel at that. I am learning that I need not fear telling God anything. When I confess and tell God about my hurt or my frustration, He helps me to deal with my struggle. I don’t always have to tell all my secrets to everyone. I can tell God though, and that comforts me greatly. Sometimes I do have to confess to a person. When God points me to that, He gives me the strength and the words to say and that helps.

What secrets are you hanging on to? May I suggest that you give them to God? He can help you face what needs to be faced.

May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you.

Love
Janet