Have you ever looked at a photo of an animal – really looked at it?boxer puppy

When animals, particularly dogs, look into a camera – their eyes reflect the most amazing quality. It is a reflection of total trust, of willing to be vulnerable because they love the person behind the camera.

In that picture, you can see the most amazing warmth and love within the eyes of the dog. He isn’t worried about whether the blemishes of his face show. He doesn’t care if his smile is a bit crooked or if his hair is all mussed. He simply focuses on the person taking the picture and then allows himself to be completely vulnerable.

Don’t you wish we could be that way more often?

Even when we’re not taking pictures – if we could meet another person and not worry about our clothes, our hair, our looks. If we could be so completely authentic and vulnerable, to trust that even if that person isn’t trustworthy – we know who we are.

We are complete and unique. One of a kind. Treasured by the God who created us. We are gifted, talented and designed with a purpose that no one else in the world can fulfill.

We are women who lead and teach. We are the gender who can reproduce within our own bodies another creature so like us yet completely different.

We know when to multi-task and when to stop tasking. We create art and words and photos. We dance and even walk with grace because we know that being feminine is a joyful pursuit.

We love and nurture, but we also know how to say, “No” with a determined finality. Being vulnerable and authentic doesn’t mean that we have to tell every secret or reveal every nuance of who we are.

It’s okay to know within ourselves that we are enough just as we are. We don’t have to be like any other person on this earth, and we can stop comparing ourselves to other women when we accept our own inner beauty.

We stop being vulnerable and we stop trusting when we are hurt and then believe the lies that accompany that hurt. But we can learn to unbelieve those same lies and instead focus on the truth.

So let’s step up to the camera or to the next person we meet, smile and let our vulnerable selves be seen.

Let’s stop pretending and learn to trust our own instincts and the beauty God has placed within us. Let’s be ourselves, vulnerable, trusting and complete.

©2014 GateWay of Hope – The Helping Place for Hurting Women