Imitation Armor

                                                No make up, no filters, no kidding...brave.

I was talking with a sweet friend today.  Talking about pain and heartache.  Talking about all the stuff that we talk about with friends.  She is beautiful and courageous and I admire her.  As we talked we began to peel back the layers of authentic emotion.  We talked about our truth and how difficult it is to share that truth, to be vulnerable.

We talked about how easy it is to say everything is okay.  How we wear imitation armor.  Instead of the armor of God or maybe we wear it along with the armor of God.  I dunno.  Wearing the wrong armor or two types of armor, is bound to get heavy.  It is exhausting actually. You know what I am talking about....all that striving to protect yourself...

We cover our hearts, our needs, our desires with armor of our own design.  We claim we don't need anything, we push others away before they can abandon or hurt us, we refuse to have expectation lest we be disappointed, we cover our true selves with the intention of protecting ourselves.

Imitation Armor.  Counterfeit.  

Satan always perverts what God offers.  God offers armor, Satan offers imitation armor.  God says, trust me.  Satan says, trust no one.  God says, I will protect you.  Satan whispers, you better protect yourself. We all can slide insidiously into this pit.  Trading the authentic for the counterfeit.  We have had years of practice....we don't even recognize how faulty our thinking is, how isolated we have become from others and from our authentic self.

Satan longs to keep our needs unmet, our character untapped, our relationships shallow, our fears alive, our hopes set low, our suspicions high.  This is how he keeps us isolated, we think we are protected but in reality we have isolated ourselves from truth and love, grace and freedom.  The counterfeit keeps us bound individually while authentic, brave, heart baring love keeps us bound together.

It's a rare moment when you have an inkling of maybe there is more.

There is....There is so much more.  There is a tidal wave of love waiting just beyond the dam of self protection.  Or should I say that damn self protection?

I am learning to recognize where I let the counterfeit in....
Where in the past I would talk with a friend and in the background of my mind fear is rumbling like thunder but my words are sweet and happy, even sometimes sappy.  All the while fear is pounding and my heart feels like it will explode.  Now, well now I risk it.  I admit I am scared, I talk about the real concerns that are happening and in the middle of that I find freedom and hope and suddenly the scary when exposed to the light of truth isn't so scary.

I still talk about the sweet and sappy but it's genuine.  There is sweet and sappy happening in my life because I am daring to be real and happy.  I am exchanging the counterfeit for the authentic and turns out it's a really great thing.  Turns out I can trust people with my heart, turns out you people really are great, and you do really love me.  It feels good to be loved for who I really am....warts and all.  Let's be brave together....trust God to protect our hearts and love with abandon!  Let's do this!  Let's change the world with authentic love and help others walk in that same love by example.

Love you people!

Debbie