"If we are going to make true belonging a daily practice in our lives, we're going to need a strong back and a soft front. We'll need courage and vulnerability as we abandon the certainty and safety of out ideological bunkers and head off into the wilderness."
In these 31 Days of October I am unpacking my learning from the book, Braving The Wilderness, by Brené Brown. She has been a favorite author for years. In this new publication she manages to build a sidewalk and curb in the wilderness where we can bravely tread.
It seems easy to accept that a strong back is invaluable in the wilderness. A strong back makes carrying a load of struggle easier. A strong back allows criticism to roll off. My strong back is compromised when I try to prove my worth or when I need to be validated by someone else. Today, on a sabbath, I will go to church to receive a blessing. My prayer today is to allow my Savior to strenghten my back by recognizing that I am yoked to Him and he has infinitely more resources than I ever will. As we trudge forward together I can rely on his strong back and allow the softening of my front. More on a soft front, tomorrow.
These two posts about a sttong back and soft front are fantastic! I was praying earlier about a situation, asking God how I should respond, and the image of a tortoise came to mind. My thoughts were beginning to move along the lines of what you describe here but it wasn't as clear as that in my mind. These posts have helped me understand what God was saying, and I especially love the point about God strengthening our back rather than us seeking validation elsewhere.
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