Some people think vulnerability is easy to detect. If someone is crying, frustrated or showing any deep level of emotion, it is taken to mean that they are open enough to express the affairs of their heart. But, what if showing vulnerability doesn't manifest itself in those ways? What if it's simply in an act of kindness, in doing one thing differently today than your would have yesterday, when your heart was a little more closed off, a little more colder than it is today?
Often times, we look for big signs to determine that things are changing in the world around us: leaves changing, temps dropping and sunlight depleting are the things we need to notice Fall is in the air. We never notice the subtle signs of summer leaving us until it's all but gone. But, if we perhaps ever really stopped to notice all around us, it might be apparent in mid-August that the seasonal change is truly upon us. I suppose it is the same way in relationships. Huge declarations, gifts and proclamations are what we look at to determine the milestones in our lives. But, what about those little moments, you know, the ones we take for granted? Aren't those the signs that big changes are upon us, the people around us, or perhaps even ourselves? Aren't their small ways to show that our own hearts are warming, even if it's just a little bit?
Sometimes, a door can't go from completely open to completely closed. It has to be unlocked, the knob has to be turned, and sometimes it has to crack open, ever....so...gently...until you notice that it is fully open again, ready to be walked through. Hmm.....I guess....
