You know those moments when you can truly sense someone’s unconditional love for you? My husband has given me many moments like these, and there’s one in particular that I’ll never forget.
In January 2013, when I was in college, I contracted the worse stomach bug I’ve had in my entire life. (I will spare you the not-so-glamorous details.) After hours of being sick, he stayed by my side throughout the entire night. It didn’t matter how horrible I looked, or how loopy or lethargic I became, because in that moment, all that mattered was that I was still conscious — still the Lauren he knew and loved.
Three years later, as we battle my health problems together, my husband continues to be a constant support, companion, lover and friend. For this and so much more, he’s one of those people that I feel like I can truly be myself around. No matter what. I don’t have to put up a guard. I don’t have to put on an act. I don’t have to present myself all prim and proper in his presence. I can just be me. I can let my guard down, make funny faces, say silly things and live completely free.
It’s not that I don’t feel like I can be myself with the people I work with or run into at the grocery store. But the truth is they don’t know the whole story. They don’t know the real Lauren. And so that makes it hard to be totally real with them.
We can be true to ourselves in our workplaces and communities, but if we lack deep relationships that allow us to fully bring our guards down, our spirits will suffocate.
We all need people in our lives who know our story and know the real us.
Whether it’s being able to express our opinions openly, be silly or just be plain vulnerable, having people who respect and deeply know us gives us a safe place to live, rest and breathe. When the world gets heavy, and the other people in our life don’t seem to care, these kinds of relationships lift the weight off of our shoulders and help us forget about whatever is consuming our minds.
But there’s another place where we can freely experience this level of intimacy. A place that is always there — constant, stable and firm. And that place is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ.
In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Jesus offers us a place to live, rest and breathe. A place that’s even more rejuvenating than the places we find ourselves in with our loved ones. A safe haven where it doesn’t matter if we look or speak properly, it just matters that we are His — the person he created, knows and loves.
