Behind the Facade

Last week I had the opportunity to visit with a friend who is in the hospital recovering from a serious accident. As I was visiting with his in-laws, they were talking about the conversations that had taken place while he was under the influence of anesthesia, or pain medication, or whatever.  They mentioned that you really get to see the character of a person in these situations.  The effects of the medication removes our filters, and "the real you" comes out.  In this case, it was simply more proof of what an amazing man my friend is.

This story had me thinking about how open and honest we are with each other.  In this age of photoshopped pictures and manicured social media profiles, how exposed do we allow ourselves to be?  It has been said that character is who you are when no one is looking.  Would people truly recognize the real you from your "public persona"?  

Several years ago I had to confront my own dichotomy between who I was and who I presenting myself to be.  I took a chance and opened myself up.  I found friends who embraced me and loved me in all of my vulnerable sincerity.  I found a new freedom to live my life with honesty and genuineness.  I trusted the love I received because I knew it wasn't based on false pretenses.  

Regardless of how we present ourselves to others, God knows us. He sees the things we hide, and he is not fooled by our facades.  And yet he loves us - more than we can ever understand.  When I recognized this fact and truly embraced openness and honesty with both God and those around me, I experienced love and freedom like never before. 

Chad Hess