Lord, Speak. Soul, Listen

The title has been my prayer this week.  My soul did listen, and it did hear him speak. 

 "Steve, you spend way to much time and energy fearing you will be exposed as a. weak; b. foolish; c. wrong; d. selfish; e. a fraud; f. arrogant; g. all of the above.  Everyone fears being exposed, but you are wasting too much time and energy on it.  You learned if from a home that lived in constant fear of being exposed.  But it's still foolish.  There is nothing you can do to prevent being exposed.  Even if you were perfect (chuckle) the enemy would just make things up. 

Spend less energy, effort, and anxiety trying to avoid being exposed.  Spend more energy and effort living obediently in my abundant grace.  Live with such freedom and joy that I would want to expose your life to others as an example of my easy yoke.  Do not hide your failures.  Embrace them because they prove how marvelous is my grace toward you and in you."

BTW: He spoke clearly, but it took me about 10 focused prayers, 2 dreams, and 5 illustrations and assurances to hear all of that.  He held up his part of the prayer much better than I held up mine.  I know... you're surprised.