Day 1: Hi, I’m “Insert Your Name Here” and I’m Vulnerable

The other day I was looking through my timeline on Facebook and I came across a post about the most current remake of Cinderella. One of the comments that struck me and quite truthfully made me chuckle stated, “Such a punchable Cinderella”. I haven’t seen the current remake but I couldn’t help but wonder what would make Cinderella so “punchable”. What is it about the damsel in distress that we have come to despise so much? In this age of women fighting for equality and the feminism movement, the damsel in distress character, that vulnerable princess who needs Prince Charming to come and save her, well, it just doesn’t fit together with where our society is right now. The vulnerable person is seen as weak, insufficient, unable to defend themselves. No wonder people shudder at the thought of being seen as vulnerable.

I mean just think about it. Would you want to be described as vulnerable? Let’s have a look-see at the two definitions for vulnerable. The first definition is easily hurt or harmed physically, mentally, or emotionally. The second definition is open to attack, harm, or damage. Could you imagine doing an icebreaker where you would have to name a quality of yourself and you said, “Hi, my name is and one way I would describe myself is vulnerable.” Sounds crazy right?! Could you imagine the looks that person would get?

Well, go ahead and turn up your noses and roll your eyes at me now because, “Hi, I’m Erika and one way I would describe myself is vulnerable and proud of it.” And since I went ahead and put that out there, I’ll go ahead and go a step further and say, I wish a lot more of you would join me and become vulnerable. I’m not talking about society’s definition of being vulnerable but I’m talking about being vulnerable to God.

Why? Well, when I admit that I’m vulnerable, I admit that I have some flaws. I admit that there are some things about me that I don’t particularly care for, I admit that I don’t always do the right thing, I don’t always say the right thing, these are the things I admit when I say I’m vulnerable, plus so much more. But something really cool happens when I admit I these things, actually two things happen. We will discuss the first thing today and next one tomorrow.

The first thing that happens and the most important is that when I allow myself to be vulnerable, it gives God the opportunity to put us where He wants us to be and for His name to be glorified.  Read what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV) 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Vulnerability is hard, we like to be in control of our lives, or so at least think we are in control. Being vulnerable means praying and waiting,  and a lot of us lose the game of waiting EVERY SINGLE TIME. Being vulnerable means letting others see our flaws and in a day and age where social media leads us to believe everyone else is having more fun at life than we are, that’s hard. I’ll never forget when Jennifer, a gifted speaker at my church, said “Instead of asking God to step into our plan. We have to say, God, whatever your plan is, I want to jump into it.” Folks, that’s hard because it is giving total control over to Him and while we know it’s the right thing to do, we struggle.

Read Isaiah 55:8-11 (NIV) and pay particular attention to verse 11.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Did you get chills like I did? What person do you know here on earth that can make such a promise, “So is the word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty”?  Oooooooeeeeeee, chills I tell you, chills!!!

What is it in your life that you need to let go of control and become vulnerable so that God can work in your life? I don’t know about you but I will happily be that vulnerable princess in the fairy tale, who needs a King to step in and make everything okay, especially when I know that I serve a mighty King in God. So, try it out. Try being vulnerable for a while. Go ahead and say it, “Hi, I’m <insert your name here> and I’m vulnerable.”