40 Days of Vulnerability

Ash Wednesday is coming up this week are you ready for the beginning of Lent? (Click here to learn more about Ash Wednesday and Lent... http://www.gotquestions.org/Ash-Wednesday.html) 

I always thought of Lent as a weird excuse for Christians to go on a diet. I heard people say it was a time to give up chocolate or junk food. I didn't get what the heck it ever had to do with Jesus. For more on my thoughts of Lent read here... http://samtidball.blogspot.com/2013/04/my-lent-fail.html. But the past few years I realized Lent can be an awesome time to focus on a specific theme that God is trying to teach me or a time I can put a discipline into practice in order to grow in my faith. However, this Lent I am trying a practice that most people don't think of as a typical discipline, especially in the church. This year I am going to do 40 Days of Vulnerability and I am asking for some brave souls to join me. Here's what I have in mind... 

Vulnerability comes from the Latin word for "wound". It is the state of being open to injury or appearing as if you are. It's also defined as the state of being exposed. In a culture so focused on perfectionism and and pretending to have it all together, I am challenging everyone to post something vulnerable about themselves everyday for the next forty days. I am hoping people will expose their messiness (literally and figuratively) and freely express their thoughts using social media. Everyday, write something about yourself that you normally wouldn't want to admit. It doesn't have to be a big confession but can be an expression of something embarrassing, an insecurity, fear, doubt, conviction, desires, failure, a dumb mistake, something you are awful at, or a belief you want to share but normally withhold due to the fear of being judged or criticized. The only rules are that you shouldn't post something that might be harmful toward yourself or someone else. Be respectful and the goal is to practice letting go of fears of what others think about you. After you post a photo or express a thought please hashtag it with #Vulnerability4Lent. I will also be posting a devotional thought each Sunday about the topic of vulnerability to help encourage you along the way. 

WHY?

• To be free from the fear of judgement and disappointment from others. 
• To let others know they are not alone in their weird, insecure, and lonely thoughts and experiences. 
• To experience unconditional love of God and perhaps be surprised by unconditional love from others.
• To stop hiding and pretending.
• To help empower others to live freely, embrace criticism, and to learn through reflection by processing thoughts and behaviors.

So who is with me? #Vulnerability4Lent #40DaysofVulnerability

If you are the type of person who likes more guidance then here are a list of ideas for forty days that you can think about and post each day... 

1. Post a pic of yourself right when you wake up, before getting out of bed and looking in a mirror.
2. Post about a time you were wrong about something and what you learned from it.
3. Share something you want to believe but doubt holds you back.
4. Post about something you feel guilty about.
5. Post about something very embarrassing from your childhood.
6. Share something you secretly hate that you are afraid to tell others about.
7. Share something you secretly really love that you are afraid to tell others about.
8. Post a picture of yourself trying something new that you are very bad at.
9. Post a photo or describe something you attempted to make that turned out horrible.
10. Write about a time you failed and what you learned from it.
11. Write about a time you did something dumb out of your anger.
12. Post a photo of something you feel insecure about.
13. Share one of your biggest fears.
14. Post something embarrassing about your personal hygiene or clothing choices.
15. Share a fear you have about relationships.
16. Post a photo of something you frequently forget or misplace.
17. Share a real reason why you were late.
18. Share about a time you broke or ruined something.
19. Post about how you failed during an interview of failed in the workplace.
20. Share something you believe about your faith but don’t express because others disagree
21. Share about a belief you are supposed to have in your faith but you really wrestle with it.
22. Post a photo of a person that you think is awesome but you are too afraid to admit.
23. Share a song/show/article/book that you are obsessed with but too afraid to admit.
24. Post a photo of someone you completely disagree with that you rather not admit.
25. Share about a time you experienced true humility.
26. Share your most recent fear.
27. Post a quote from someone you think needs to be expressed even though others may disagree.
28. Post about a relationship fail you have experienced.
29. Post a photo of something that gives you anxiety.
30. Share about a time you lost and what you learned.
31. Post a photo of something in your life that is an absolute mess.
32. Post a photo expressing one of your deepest desires in life.
33. Post a photo of yourself conquering something that makes you nervous or afraid.
34. Confess one of your insecurities.
35. Share something that bothers you but you are too afraid to say anything because you are afraid it will offend someone.
36. Confess when was the last time you cried and what was the reason.
37. Boldly answer the question, “How are you?” answering with full honesty.
38. Post a picture of yourself getting help for something you hate asking help for.
39. Confess a lie you told to cover up something embarrassing.
40. Express a deep rooted belief you have that you want to share with the world knowing others might judge you or disagree.