Soul Connection: Shelly Faust Guest Post

I am taking a break this week from my OBS Blog Hop. Shelly Faust, my OBS leader wrote my guest post for this week. Shelly sees my heart and reveals a part of it in this post.

To be totally honest, this thrilled and scared me at the same time. Thrilled me because we have never met in person and scared me cause God has revealed a part of me to her,
 even though we haven't met in person. 

I truly hope and pray her words will speak to you. 

After reading her post go and give her some love on her blog: 

Is That You Lord?

SOUL CONNECTING 

A GUEST POST FROM SHELLY FAUST

We live in a time where communication travels through wires and bounces off towers. Not limited by miles or oceans we can instantly connect with almost anyone anywhere and anytime. But it is easy to lose touch with personal interaction when online connections are so convenient and accommodating.

God has truly blessed me with online connections and even the opportunity and ability to participate in online ministry. But I must be careful to not neglect building and nurturing face to face relationships.

We were created for companionship. Our souls long for connection. And our hearts expand in community.

But personal connection does not come without risk. Perhaps that explains the appeal of online interaction. We can pick and choose what we share or how much of our heart we give away.

Face to face fellowship and day to day relationships require honest vulnerability. We lay bare our soul and hold our breath, trusting the recipient of our confidence to be gentle and kind.

When we get hurt it is natural to retreat and tempting to view new relationships through the eyes of our pain while hiding behind broken promises, betrayals, and unforgiveness. Our hearts shrink back and if we are not careful we can become prisoners within the borders of the fences we build.

In seclusion, we feel safe but we are denied the beauty of intimacy found in the closeness of a friend who can look into our eyes and know the issues of our heart.

It’s in the risky, vulnerable places we are faced with the greatest potential for hurt, but it is also here we feel God most as He expands our hearts and awakens our souls. This place of soul-connecting is where we feel the deepest and love the biggest.

Maybe together we can be brave? Might we offer each other support here while risking out there?

In her book, “Strong Women Soft Hearts,” Paula Rinehart says “God bids us come into the vulnerable place His Son occupied where the power of His life was born out of fearless trust in His Father.”

God’s best is not found within the confines of our fences but in wide-open fields of vulnerability and fearless trust in our Father.

Let us choose transparency and openness so God’s power can be displayed in our lives. Let us dare to risk for the possibility to love and be loved.

And let’s go there together.

Today’s Post is shared by:  Shelly Faust.  She is a wife, mother of three, Writer/Blogger, life-time learner, recovering people pleaser and mental perfectionist, follower of Jesus (disciple), lover of dark chocolate. You can check out her blog –> Is that you Lord? – connect with her on Facebook here or follow her on Twitter @shellyfaust