Being Real

Betty Ford died this past week. Many may not remember her. She was no rock star. She may not be remembered either because she was First Lady a while ago or because she was not the "out-of-the-catalog, model First Lady" we have come to embrace.

I liked Betty Ford from what I knew of her. I bet Jesus likes her, too. She was real. She was a steadfast support to her husband who weathered the aftermath of the Watergate Scandal and President Nixon's resignation and pardon. She was transparent and genuine. She spoke of her depression, her struggle with alcohol, her breast cancer and mastectomy, and her support of a whole host of women's issues. She probably irked many Republicans of a more conservative bent in doing so. And she rescued thousands from addiction through her Betty Ford Center.

Betty Ford was real in a First Lady world that makes it very tough to be real.

Are you real? Where are you on the transparency scale? Are you the genuine article, the real you, to others? Transparent people express two powers that the rest do not.

o       They channel an unvarnished Jesus to a hungry world (we are made in his image after all)

o       They bring healing to those around them through the encouragement of just being real

What can you do today to make yourself more transparent? How real can you afford to be? Have you explored who the real you is? Yes, this is risky but it is a risk worth taking. I'll pray for you. I know Jesus is rooting for you.