Daily Encouragement for the Smart StepfamilySample

Be Vulnerable

Want a great suggestion for deepening a friendship? It starts with you sharing you. 

Ever notice that when someone is transparent and shares a vulnerability about themselves, we tend to respect them a little more? We admire their courage, and we feel like they’re more approachable—like it’s safe to be close to them. We also feel like we can trust them with our own vulnerabilities. And when both people share their real selves, the relationship takes a leap forward. 

Now think about this: Stepfamily members can do the same thing. I’ve watched adult stepchildren share something personal about themselves with a parent’s new spouse, and somehow it opens the door to friendship. I’ve also seen stepparents endear their stepkids to them just by sharing a story about a hard life-lesson they learned in their younger days, or one of their most embarrassing moments. 

Sure, it takes courage to put yourself out there. But courage is where great relationships begin. 

Father, help me be courageous enough to allow my loved ones to see my real self. 

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© 2018 by FamilyLife. Excerpted with permission from Daily Encouragement for the Smart Stepfamily by Ron L. Deal with Dianne Neal Matthews, Bethany House Publishers. Get more daily encouragement with this 365-day devotional that will keep your family blending and bonding throughout the year.