NEARNESS

Gloria Phifer

What do you think of when you hear the word "near?"

I really have to contemplate what it means to be "near." You can be in proximity to someone and yet not be near. 

To me, "near" means when a person understands me and I understand them. I have a good friend who recently became a Christian. She loves her family but she longs to have that "nearness in Christ." The same heart set. 

I always longed to be near my mother, I had glimpses of it but then I felt the rejection the abandonment....I never felt she really knew me or my heart. So we were near and yet...far.

I have discovered there are different levels of being near. There are some people who only know me on the surface. I do not know them enough to have that trust to be fully vulnerable with who I am. And there are times I know totally they do not know who I really am. So there is the lack of nearness.

I believe everyone longs to be "near." The One that I draw near to is The Lord. He never rejects me. I feel that He understands my weaknesses and yet loves me unconditionally. Oh to be loved unconditionally. To know Someone Who will always love me for who I am. To me this is "Nearness." It is a sacred thing. And because it is such a personal, sacred thing...there must be trust to be vulnerable and that is only found where a person feels safe and secure. Only then will a person open their heart in order to be near.