"Who Told You You Were Naked?"

 "When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.

God called to the Man: “Where are you?”

 He said, “I heard you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked. And I hid.”

 God said, “Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from that tree I told you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:9-11)

Back to the Garden ...

Recently I was brought back to the Garden.  This scene of two humans who had messed up big time. They tried to hide their sin--their mistake--their brokenness.  They covered it up out of fear and shame, maybe even guilt.They saw themselves as they really were and hid.   The God who knew them so intimately came to to them in this state and just asked that big question: “Who told you you were naked?"  Whose Voice have you been listening to? 

  We as humans were created to live in unhindered, uncovered relationship with God just like in the Garden.  The Voice who told us we were naked and our choice to listen to him keeps us hiding 'all the stuff'...hiding all the sin. Since that day we often feel we have to cover up for fear of being exposed.  We don't want to show our Gardener who we really are or what we have done...and that cold, Liar Voice holds his power over us!

Ah, but then my sweet Gardener Love comes to me and whispers this very direct question.  I realize what I've done. I take off my cover ups and say "I'm sorry!"  I realize the Voice who cried out, "Naked! Shame! Not Good Enough!" was not the Voice of my Love.

I turn all my bare self over to Him...He sees it all!  And just when I think He's going to turn away, He looks and kisses those broken sinful parts, covers them with HIS love and says, "Yes! The Voice who told you you were naked no longer has power over you. It's no longer hidden.  Your nakedness laid bare before me in all of its ugly will now be used to heal and show my beauty.  You've listened too long to the one who wants to expose and destroy you."

My Own Nakedness...

I remember learning the 'tricks to hide' early on.  I tried to hide my big clunky leg braces under my floral printed dresses because  I just wanted to not let anyone see them.  (As if my little red handled walker wasn't a dead give away 😉).  I hid a lot of the emotional pain and pushed past my limitations for fear of being labelled "Weak."  I had to be strong...don't let them see how you feel.  Don't let them see you are human. Don't let them see your vulnerable parts.  Keep it all covered.  

I came to God in a similar way.  I was afraid to show Him the ways that I've messed up...ways I've sinned.  I think that He's not going to love me...that it's too much..and the real raw Deanna will just be shamed.  EXPOSED! Left Naked!  

This heart trip 'back to the Garden' showed me otherwise.  My Lover, my Jesus doesn't shame us when we let Him see what we really are.  Yes, vulnerability feels painful sometimes...it feels like exposure.  Oh, but when we show our vulnerable parts to Jesus He doesn't just leave us there!  He reminds us to come in to HIS covering...and reminds us that there is healing for it all.  He looks at us in our nakedness, kisses us with His love and says, "What was hidden will now be used for holy and beautiful things." 

And this VOICE of the Gardener Lover will be way more sweet and freeing than the other.  

This is the life I'm after...an intimate, unhindered, no hiding life with Jesus.   Will you join me in this uncovering..in this vulnerable journey?  Come out of Hiding, dear friends.

🎶 "OH AS YOU RUN WHAT HINDERED LOVE WILL ONLY BECOME PART OF THE STORY.."