TO KNOW… AND TO BE KNOWN
Most people think intimacy is about romance.
It is not.
Romance may contain intimacy.
But intimacy is much bigger than that.
It is the experience of truly knowing something…
and allowing yourself to be known.
YOU ARE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WITHOUT INTIMACY
Intimacy is one of the most misunderstood words in our language.
Mention it and most people immediately think of romance, marriage, or physical affection.
While intimacy certainly belongs there, it is far too rich a concept to be confined to only one area of life.
Intimacy simply means to know something deeply.
To become familiar with it.
To understand it beyond the surface.
To enter into a meaningful relationship with it.
You can be intimate with a person.
You can be intimate with a subject.
You can be intimate with a profession.
You can be intimate with a craft.
You can even be intimate with life itself.
GOD STARTED IT
The entire relationship between God and humanity is built upon intimacy.
Not control.
Not force.
Not manipulation.
Intimacy.
The invitation has always been:
Come and know Me.
And in the process…
Allow yourself to be known.
That is a remarkable thought.
The Creator of all things seeks relationship rather than distance.
Knowing rather than merely observing.
Participation rather than spectatorship.
THE PASSIONATE PERSON
Have you ever met someone who is intimate with their subject?
A teacher who lights up when speaking about history.
A musician who becomes one with their instrument.
A gardener who understands every flower.
A craftsman who knows every detail of his trade.
A grandmother who can tell family stories for hours.
They are not merely reciting facts.
They are sharing themselves.
That is intimacy.
It is knowledge mixed with passion.
Experience mixed with understanding.
Information mixed with life.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN SOMEWHERE
One of the signs of intimacy is authenticity.
People who are intimate with a subject have usually paid a price to acquire it.
They have invested time.
Made mistakes.
Learned lessons.
Experienced victories.
Suffered setbacks.
They have been somewhere.
And now they can come back and tell you about it.
Their words carry weight because their lives support them.
ANYONE CAN HAVE IT
The wonderful thing about intimacy is that it is available to everyone.
But not everyone pursues it.
Why?
Because intimacy requires investment.
Time.
Attention.
Patience.
Trust.
Risk.
Vulnerability.
It asks us to move beyond casual acquaintance and enter deeper waters.
Many people prefer the shoreline.
Intimacy requires swimming.
INTIMACY AND RELATIONSHIPS
No marriage survives long without intimacy.
No friendship thrives without intimacy.
No family remains healthy without intimacy.
The need to be known runs through every human being.
As I often say in Pearls for Girls:
“Everyone wants to be loved.
No one wants to be alone.”
The bridge between those two realities is intimacy.
To be loved while being known.
To be accepted while being understood.
To be seen and still welcomed.
That is one of life’s greatest treasures.
WHY PEOPLE LOOK FOR IT IN THE WRONG PLACES
Children crave intimacy.
Adults crave intimacy.
Entire industries exist because people crave intimacy.
Sometimes people seek it through affairs.
Sometimes through addictions.
Sometimes through unhealthy relationships.
Sometimes through material possessions.
But the need remains the same.
The heart wants connection.
The soul wants understanding.
The spirit wants relationship.
The problem is not the desire.
The problem is often where we go looking for it.
HONESTY LIVES HERE
Intimacy does not survive deception.
It requires honesty.
Authenticity.
Transparency.
Humility.
Trust.
Pretending destroys intimacy.
Performing destroys intimacy.
Manipulating destroys intimacy.
Only truth allows intimacy to grow.
That is why intimate relationships feel so refreshing.
No masks.
No costumes.
No acting.
Just truth.
THE GIFT OF BEING KNOWN
One of the greatest gifts you can give another person is your presence.
Not your advice.
Not your money.
Not your opinions.
Your presence.
Your listening.
Your attention.
Your willingness to understand.
Many people are starving for someone to simply know them.
To hear them.
To see them.
To understand them.
PEARLS TO PONDER
“People hear with their hearts long before they hear with their ears.”
“The greatest treasure you will ever discover is another human being.”
“The purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life.”
“Everyone wants to be loved.
No one wants to be alone.”
“When you feed the soul, you feed everything.”
These statements themselves invite intimacy because they invite reflection.
They ask us to go deeper.
WHAT THEN?
Become intimate with life.
Become intimate with truth.
Become intimate with your gifts.
Become intimate with your loved ones.
Become intimate with your purpose.
Become intimate with your Creator.
Because the more deeply you know…
The more fully you live.
And perhaps the greatest reward of all is discovering that while you were seeking to know others…
You finally came to know yourself.
— Richie
Pearls for the Soul
when you feed the soul, you feed everything.
https://pearlsforthesoul.com
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