Many years ago I made a retreat during which the Retreat Master posed a question which has stuck with me. He asked: "Who do you have in your life who is a truth speaker for you?" That is, who is there who will tell the truth, even when it is inconvenient, unpleasant or unwanted. To have one such person, or even two or three people who will love me enough to not let me hide from the pain of reality is to be truly gifted.
Fortunately I have, down through the years, been blessed with at least one such person who cared enough to speak the truth that I needed to face at any given time.
For the last 3 years, I have been able to be a part of a Bible study/faith sharing group. We meet every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday morning from 7:15-7:45 am on the phone. Yes, that's right. Three of us couples have a conference call four days a week. We have a Leadership Bible with a study guide in it that we follow which provides us with the format and focus to share our faith. Gail and Marilyn, John and Clar, and My Love and I have found this focused time of sharing to be a great help in keeping us on track and growing in our faith, our friendships, our families, and our lives in general.
Without this group, I don't know how My Love and I would have been able to remain at peace and know which direction to go when we were confronted with Hurricane Dolly this past July. The prayers, support and love we experienced as we met together each morning kept us tuned into the love and faithfulness of God while everything around us was in turmoil. They spoke the truth that we needed to hear in that tumultuous time.
They have also been the instrument for speaking the hard truths that we have needed to face over the years, calling us out of our selfishness and egoism to give ourselves for others. What a gift they have been in my life, and how grateful I am to them for their faithfulness and challenge to live life to the full.
Who is the truth speaker in your life?
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