11/19/21

HIDE


This post was written for Five Minute Friday
Word prompt--HIDE
Five minutes to free write about it
---------------------------------

There was a time in my life when I tried to hide many things. Now not so much. One of the benefits of growing old is that I no longer feel the need to impress anybody or worry about what they might think of me. I am who I am, and the only person whose opinion matters, is that of the God who created me and who knows my heart.

When I became a Christian, some 30 years ago, I kept hidden the fact that I had once been deeply steeped in New Age and occult practices, and that I had authored a book (actually more than one) on numerology. And then one Palm Sunday, our pastor challenged us to do something radical, and I did. I wrote a blog post entitled Sincerely Wrong, in which I spoke openly about these things for the very first time.

After writing that post, I became convicted that it was time to bring all the other things I didn't talk about into the open as well because, just mabe, there was someone out there who desperately needed to hear it.

I had always believed that the reason I kept certain things hidden, especially from my mother, children, and other family members, was because I was trying to protect them from being hurt, but now I realized that was only partly true. I did want to keep them from unnecessary distress, but if truth be told, the greater reason was fear of what they might think of me. And so I went on to write my memoir, Sincerely Wrong: An Improbable Journey

Writing the book was not an easy thing to do, because in order to give the whole story, I had to share things that I had never spoken about before. What I learned through the process though, is that hidden things have a way of eventually being exposed anyway, and when you are the one to bring them out into the open, they lose their power over you.

----------------------------------------------------------
For everything that is hidden will eventually
be brought out into the open, and every
secret will be brought to light.
(Mark 4:22 NLT)
-----------------------------------------------------------

16 comments:

  1. Wow! Your book sounds like a brave journey!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well done for having the courage to share your story and write your book! I have also found it hard to open up about certain things when my instinct is to hide, but when we bring them into the light it is amazing to see how God can use them to help others.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know that I hide things too because of what others may think. But when I've shared, I find people are supportive or may have been through the same thing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. oh, I needed to be reminded of that... I shouldn't let my fears stop me from doing what is right...saving people from the mess they are headed for if they don't see God for who he is.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! So powerful. thank you for sharing. This really touched me today. Blessings.

    ReplyDelete
  6. A moving testimony of courage to embrace transparency. This calls me to take steps in such a journey.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This sounds like a really good book.

    I was just listening to a Johnny Cash song that references this verse. "What's done in the dark will be brought to the light," goes the refrain.

    Sobering and humbling.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wow, that would take courage! Good for you, and for God working in you to tell the story.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Kudos to you for opening up and sharing! I think what you said at the end is so true: "hidden things have a way of eventually being exposed anyway, and when you are the one to bring them out into the open, they lose their power over you."

    I don't want anything but the Lord to have power over me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I enjoyed your totally honest post, and you are correct in that as we get older, as long as we are happy with ourselves, then it really doesn't matter what others think of us. Thanks for sharing this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Praise the Lord for your being able to be transparent and giving such a beautiful testimony.
    Thank you for sharing and Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving.
    Sue

    ReplyDelete
  12. A very powerful post, thank you for the honesty. And I agree! Thank you for sharing.
    Carla

    ReplyDelete
  13. More power to you to be so brave and honest. We've all done things in our life that are wrong, but it takes guts and grace to share.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you for sharing your story. I so admire our courage, honesty and conviction to your beliefs!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I shared my copy of your book with friends and relatives, Sandra.

    Your testimony of faith has inspired many.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed your visit and found something to make your day a little bit brighter.