Tenderness

I am what you would call sensitive, emotionally expressive, tender-hearted.  Tears come easily.  I am easily hurt.  Easily moved to compassion.  Easily sorrowful over my broken condition.  Easily overwhelmed by the beauty of God.  Somewhere along the line I was told this is wrong.  "You're too sensitive, Chelsea.  You're taking things too personally.  You're too emotional."  You know what, though?  I think those are lies. Sure, at times I could stand to guard my heart.  I also understand the danger of being controlled by your emotions. We need our intellect and logic working alongside our emotions to keep us in check.  I'm also not promoting overly-dramatic responses.  When I broke my arm, I remained collected and said to a nearby counselor, "I think my arm is broken."  I was a wrestler.  I know there is a time and place for toughness.  That being said, I also know that God intentionally shaped me to be the way I am.  It is not a mistake.  I am not a mistake.  For a long time I've held insecurity in my heart about this aspect of my personality.  It is the one thing about me that I don't like that is the most difficult to hide.  The tears tend to come whether I want them to or not.  As I've been in close community with other Christians I've heard different words about my soft heart: "You inspire me to be more vulnerable.  Others feel empathy through your tears.  I think it's just your passion coming through."  I wonder which story you're being told?  I wonder if someone is telling you that it's not okay to cry, or that logic is right and emotion is wrong.  I want to take a stand for tenderness.  I want to stop rejecting who God made me to be.  I want to embrace who I am and use my soft heart to revel in his glory.  This quote from (a fave of mine) Zoey Deschannel really speaks to me:

    

Is there a part of your personality that you don't like?  I believe that you were fearfully and wonderfully made.  I believe that whatever that characteristic is, God wants to take it and use it for his good.  I believe that you are loved completely.