On The Journey Towards Intimacy

The journey toward intimacy is perhaps the longest, most difficult journey we take as human beings. While the dictionary defines intimacy as "close familiarity or association and nearness in friendship," intimacy also requires us to stand naked in front of another human being with all of our warts and flaws. We are the too large belly hiding a waistline that used to measure eighteen inches around, declaring, "This is me. This is who I am. I am worried about you rejecting me. I am worried I have shown you too much of me. This is me. This is who I am."
Even further, intimacy is the ability to share our heart and soul with another; it is truly taking down our defenses just as we "take off our clothes." Intimacy is a tremendous risk for some, less so for others, but never inconsequential. It is intertwined with trust, though sometimes we trust the wrong people, who hand our trust back to us battered and broken. Nevertheless, intimacy is definitely resilient, and we stay on the journey, looking for intimacy in our soul mates, our families and our dearest friends. This journey requires us to look deeply and examine our thoughts and feelings from the inside out. This is the toughest part, but the results can lead us to accept and be our best friends and to love and embrace our families. It is on this journey that God tells us to stay, hard as it is, and listen to our heart and those of others. God speaks. Hearts speak. Our journey toward intimacy helps us to hear them clearly.

- Shirley K. Lewis