“You can’t fake authenticity.”
^that’s what has been on my heart lately.

So the question is, has somebody been fake with me? Or super real?

I think it’s me, though. I think I’ve been faking my authenticity all summer.

Convincing myself my walls weren’t walls. We all have walls, but some of us have more gates than others. I thought gates were enough; that I could have gates to not have walls. But the secret I’d been keeping from myself is that gates can close too.

I’d closed the gate on God for a while, but waved at him through the bars over my heart.

I thought talking over the fence was enough. But these fences and bars, these walls and these gates, these are the things that keep us awake. These are the things that give us that nasty feeling in our gut. These are the things that turn our castle into a hut.

So why do we do it?
I didn’t think I wanted to.

But being raw and authentic is scary. We’d rather try to fake our authenticity than try to carry the weight of ourselves when there’s no way to filter. When we’re real and expose our baggage, sometimes it just looks like more to carry. It’s scary.

But this isn’t the place we should live. Because if you’ve got bags, it looks like you’re going somewhere. So get there. Jump on the train; get off of the platform. Give your bags to the bus boy, and your ticket to the Master.

Your ticket is grace, paid in advance.
So hand in your ticket; this is your chance.
You’re off on adventure.
You’re safe. in. His. hands.

Open your gates up, unlock your old fences. Put down your shield, get out of the trenches. Stop fighting yourself; you’re not the enemy. Jesus is here: “Listen to me.”

{Selah}
[Breathe]

“I want you. I want your friendship. Not the way you fake it with others, and fake it with yourself. If you’re not real with me, who are you real with? It’s not like I don’t already know you. I still love you for all of it. Trust me with all of it. It’s not worth it to lock things inside, especially things that were meant to be shared. So share it with someone who cares. “Don’t be afraid to open up again. I promise not everyone will love you with a knife behind their back.” I promise you this, I promise this truth: If you’re not authentic with me, you’re not authentically you.”