Day 1

True. Genuine. Real. Honest. Sincere. Simple. Plain. Original.

There is a growing and possibly trendy admiration for people who are “real” and “genuine.” I wonder, though, in a world that allows us to pick and choose what we share with our social media friends, if maybe we just want to appear real.

That’s why I reconsidered my original name for this series: 31 Days of Real. I tagged on “Truth” because I want to talk about something a more than “keeping it real.” I mean, the truth IS real. But that which appears real isn’t always entirely true. Also, I can never decide whether I like “true life” or “real life” better. It’s always a toss up – so I decided to use them both. Phew. I’m glad we got that worked out.

You like the way I’m making your head spin with the real and true interchanges? I promise I won’t do this all month long.

My infatuation with “real” actually led me to my deep love and respect for Truth. This quest to speak and hear truth drives me forward through inhibitions, insecurities, prejudices, and assumptions – to be real. It dares me to be brave and endure one confrontation after another – with myself – for the sake of freedom. It’s been quite a journey. I can pinpoint seasons of wrestling and learning and struggling to regain footing after I began to allow God to slam the truth about myself right into the truth about Him. And I can tell you exactly which freedoms I enjoy because of those seasons.

Truth.

It’s simple. Really, it is.

But it’s hard.

And often painful.

Apparently other people think it’s kind of hard, too:

The truth will set you free, but first it will make you miserable. – Former President, James A. Garfield

The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you. – Novelist, David Foster Wallace

The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. – Feminist, Gloria Steinem

Pain and freedom go together. That’s the truth. Like a wrestling match that leaves you breathless, exhausted, and wounded – but I know THE Truth, and in Him there is hope. Because after all that wrestling you will find yourself blessed. So, so blessed.

Will you join me for the next 31 Days? I want to have an honest discussion about truth. About why we seek and share it selectively. About how we land on the place where we aren’t afraid of it anymore. About what things could come from running straight into it. And a little about our own seasons of wrestling.

I promise to sprinkle a little down and dirty real fun along the way – because quite frankly, nothing is more fun than that which is true!