Five Minute Friday: Bare

Today I took the Five Minute Friday challenge  from Lisa-Jo Baker:

Got five minutes? Let’s write. Let’s write in shades of real and brave and unscripted.
Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not.

1. Write for 5 minutes flat for pure unedited love of the written word.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. Go buck wild with encouragement for the five minuter who linked up before you.
Won’t you give me your best five minutes for the prompt: Bare


Bare
'The king is in the altogether, the altogether, the altogether
He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born'

It's one of those songs I've always remembered.
It's from the film, 'The Emperor's new clothes' (Hans Christian Anderson)

The morals are clear:
Deception.
Thinking yourself better than you are.
Being so big for your boots that you can be made a fool of.

But that's naked.
Bare is something different.
Bare is about everything being stripped away.
Physically, emotionally, spiritually.

Being laid bare sounds cold, harsh, revealing.

I don't like being naked.
I'm overweight.
Mid forties.
Have more chins than I should have.
I know what to wear to make the best of what I have.
But naked is something else.

Bare though, I can deal with.
The multiple bereavements of the past 10 months have felt likeeverything was being stripped away.
My family.
My work.
My church.
My routine.

'When you come to the end of yourself, you can touch the beginning of God's love'
(Joy Webb)
I'm beginning to come to terms with being bare.
Being real.
WYSIWYG

But naked?
Never!
Come back when I've lost three stone!

Comments

Debra Bacon said…
Karen - Your post was great. I love the difference you bring out between being bare and being naked.

It sounds as though you have been through a whole lot of bare last year and into this new year. God Bless you and keep you close in is care. I know He will. And I know you already know He will and IS too.

Thank you for being real. Blessings ~Debra
8 February 2013 at 15:51
Alia Joy said…
I think you summed it up perfectly, when you come to the end of yourself. It is so true. That is where you being to be born new. And amen sister, I don't like to be naked either.
9 February 2013 at 02:53
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

20 years of ministry

I hadn't realised it myself. I'm not very good with dates, and years, and anniversaries. But yesterday my Facebook Timeline was full of it. It's 20 years since we were commissioned and ordained. 28th May 1993 at The Royal Albert Hall, London. As I listened to 'Our Songs' The ones written for us, and for the occasion I became a bit nostalgic. As I looked at the video And saw my friends and colleagues I almost felt a pang of grief For the people we were The things we shared. But this is a letter to the 25 yr old girl I was then From the woman I am now "You made it! By the skin of your teeth at times but you got there in the end. And this ending Full of brass, and drums, and singing and laughter and drama and dance is just the beginning. In the years ahead you will know joy Real joy Laughing so hard no sound comes out. Friendships that are only in their infancy here Will become your anchor in the days ahead. And people that ...
Read more

Five Minute Friday: Song

Image
It's our Silver Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday. 25 years. I told someone the other day and she gasped, and said, "You don't look old enough" Which is absolutely the right response. We're having a few friends over next Friday night to celebrate. There will be food And dancing And fun And song. 'Our song' to be precise. As we met in the 80's, Our song is 'Solid' (Ashford and Simpson). It's the song we used to dance to at parties. It's the song that made us laugh. It's the song we always talk about when reminiscing. Our 25 years together hasn't been perfect You won't be surprised to hear that. There has been much joyful song. But sometimes the notes have turned dischordant. Sometimes we've sung in a minor key. More recently we have sung songs of lament. But to mis-quote Gloria Gaynor We have survived. We're still standing (Elton John) And we're still singing from the same hymn ...
Read more

STOP! Look and listen.

I helped at Nathan's Christmas Fair yesterday. It was packed with excited children and exhausted parents, so pretty much business as usual. Do you ever want to scream STOP at this time of year? Enough. Too much already. Mum, my sister and I sorted out Dad's things on Tuesday. As we filled the car with bags for the charity shop it felt so final. A person's life contained in a car-load. STOP. Enough. Too much already. Today has been a better day. The sun has shone. The sky turned a brilliant blue after the snow showers. And I had a lovely coffee with Chris at the Garden Centre. As we were driving back I remembered the Advent challenge I gave our congregation a few years back. It came from the carol, 'It came upon the midnight clear', And the challenge was to 'Hush the noise, ye men (and women) of strife And hear the angels sing.' Or, STOP. Look for the reality of His presence in the madness of Christmas. Listen for Him. His ange...
Read more