The Power of Embarrassment
Roughly 3 months ago, I married the Rocking, Awesome Veronica D. McGee. We were so excited leading up to the actual ceremony. We did all the things engaged couples do prior to getting married; such as choosing the menu, the order of the ceremony, creating the registry, and choosing the tuxs and gowns for the party. I think the most fun part for me was creating the registry! I GET TO MAKE UP A LIST OF PRICEY THINGS TO RECEIVE FOR MY WEDDING AS GIFTS! WOOT WOOT! We registered ourselves at Macy's, Bed/Bath & Beyond, and Target. I also had fun zapping all the items I wanted with that little scan gun. But, come to find out, after it was all said and done; we probably received MAYBE..3 items off our registry! I was a little disturbed because that mess took time to zap all those items.
The gifts we mainly received were cash/check/gift cards, a couple of household items, and devotional books. The cash and things are great. The household items are marvelous, but the devotional books is what I really want to focus in on. We received at least 3 different devotional books for married couples. We've been reading "No Greater Love" a 90 day devotional for the past month and a half or so. IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST, IF NOT THE MOST AWESOME ASPECT OF OUR MARRIAGE THUS FAR!
The picture at the top is one of a gentleman who is obviously in hiding possibly because he's embarrassed. Often times when we are embarrassed, our 1st instinct is to run away from everyone and to be alone. We're scared of the way people are looking at us or we don't want people to see us in a very VULNERABLE STATE. I must say the devotions Veronica and I have been doing have often times left me in a very AWKWARD, VULNERABLE, EMBARRASSING state. These devotions pull out things that you just don't talk about normally in average conversations. They expose the imperfections of both of us through short passages along with scripture from God's Word.
The best and most beautiful part of doing these devotions is; they don't force me to run away and into a hiding place, but they DRAW ME CLOSER TO MY WIFE. And vice versa; she draws closer to me.
Taking it back to the Garden scene with Adam, Eve, and God. They hid from God because of they're nakedness; not just physically but spiritually as well. God calls us to have a relationship with Him where we can be NAKED before Him! Not in the sense of merely having no covering/clothing, but TRANSPARENT with how we feel! NO HIDING! (As if He doesn't already know anyway... LOL) I heard a preacher say the mission of a husband and a wife is to live out the Gospel toward each other EVERYDAY. What a loaded statement! Our relationship with God should mirror our marriage. If things aren't going well in your horizontal relationship (with hubby or wifey), then that's a good indicator that things aren't going to well in your vertical relationship (With God).
Thank You God for using Your Word and Devotion as a time of NAKEDNESS, VULNERABILITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND SOMETIMES EMBARASSMENT to draw my wife and I NEARER to each other while closer to You rather than running away from each other in hiding.
