31: Be genuine!

Well, we made it! Do you feel better already? I think these 31 days to a better-twenty-something-year-old have been intense to say the least, but what did you expect? Rainbows and butterflies? …I think not. 

I am so proud of you for hanging in there this month!

I thought about recapping the whole month and simply saying thank you for reading along, but I think we missed one very important topic so we’ll end here: on a high note.

Remember when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and they were “both naked and felt no shame(Genesis 2:25)?” This is not a post about endorsing streaking before your mind runs away on me…yeah, I know where you were going.

I don’t think that this indicates solely physical nakedness. God reveals that two become one. They were naked physically, yes, but also, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. There were no alternate agendas, no shame, no wild (unmet) expectations, just nakedness and unity.

I nanny a three and six year old. I am in charge of their nightly routine three times a week, which includes bath time. One night the little boy gets out of the tub and asks me, “Ms. Emily, remember that time I ran around the house naked?” And I responded with a “no” because there was no such time that I could recall…

…until he drops his towel right in front of me and starts running around the house screaming with arms flailing. 

Now that is what I called naked and unashamed.

I was jealous in that moment because of the freedom he felt to be himself. He didn’t care that he was naked. He didn’t care that his nanny was there. He didn’t care. He was simply happy, silly, and having a good time.

Besides the naked part…remember a time that you felt so comfortable and secure with someone that you let all your walls and masks down and were simply “naked” with someone? You were yourself. No inhibitions. No unspoken expectations to fill. No subtle culture “rules” to follow, just you? You making your own rules?

The bad news is that often times we wait until we do feel comfortable and safe to be that genuine self. We worry what others will think. (When usually the people we are concerned with we will never see again!) The good news is that if you know your comfort, safety, security, and identity lie in Christ then you can feel free to be the you you were created to be all the time. You are not at the liberty of others.

You can be free to be the you you want to be all the time. 

As a twenty-something-year-old it can be easy to get lost in others expectations of you, their rules, the roles they want you to play. 

But stop stressing, play and have fun, find adventure, give, laugh a lot, pray, do what you want to do, know that there will be challenges along any road, but being yourself makes every step easier.

Also…have really awesome friends (that make this a lot easier).

Be the you you want to be. Be genuine. Know who you are and  Love yourself.

To truly understand what I am saying I thought Jess could show you how it’s done.

I have had so much fun with y’all this month! Thanks for sticking around with me. Hope you had a very happy Halloween. See you in November when we can all complain about our sugar hangovers!

31: Be genuine!

xxxoo, E