This guest post by @bibledude is part of the We Are Real project at High Calling Blogs. You can read my guest post on his site, BibleDude dot net.

I don’t think I ever expected this relationship to become so real. My first interactions with the HighCallingBlogs.com Welcome Editor were when I needed to get new member information so that I could update our Twitter list of member bloggers. She’d get notifications of new members, and then share that information with me via email. Those emails were always fun and it was easy to see that we’d get along pretty well!

But Cheryl Smith and I have connected recently in some surprisingly meaningful ways. We’ve been able to share our hearts with one another, and encourage and pray for each other. That’s why it was a no-brainer for me when fellow editor Ann Kroeker launched the We Are Real project. I knew that Cheryl and I had to swap posts.

I know that Cheryl and I have similar passions in our work with social media. I also know that she’s one of those people that just about everybody wants to be around. She has that thing about her that makes people want to open up and talk to her. And she genuinely cares about the people that she’s with. Maybe it’s just simple selflessness that allows her to engage people in a way that makes you feel important.

I also know that Cheryl has a wonderful, yet normal, family. She stays pretty busy between her two kids (from her first marriage) and her two step-kids from her husband Peter. Cheryl and Peter also seem to have a very healthy marriage. I can tell by the way she talks about him.

I’ve learned a lot about her recently, but we’ve worked on another project in the last few weeks that has taught me a great deal not only about Cheryl Smith, but also about the power of transparency. I’ve been working on a really big blogging project lately for The Idea Camp on a pretty controversial subject in the church…

Sex.

I was surprised when Cheryl reached out to my call for participants in this project, especially because we were starting with ‘porn week’. But the story that she shared was amazing! I know it was difficult for Cheryl to write. We swapped quite a few emails about that fact. But I prayed for and encouraged her, and I think that helped to give her the strength to do it. In the process of writing, she had to relive many painful moments in her head, but I know she believes that it was worth it.

Cheryl showed me what it really meant to be transparent about something. It’s easy to be transparent about simple things. But real transparency has power when it deals with the difficult things, you know… those things that we pack up and stash in the dark places because we simply don’t want to accept (or even remember) the feelings that they carry with them.

I’ve witnessed the effects of this transparency on three levels so far.

• It brings healing to the person who’s being transparent. I know that sharing what she’s shared has helped Cheryl deal with the pain that it’s caused. And I believe that she’ll be the first to tell you that she’s better off by bringing it into the light in her own life.
• It gives people courage to do the same thing. I know that there are others who have since opened up regarding similar issues. They’ve been able to draw strength from Cheryl’s act of courage.
• It challenges others to change in important ways. After reading Cheryl’s story, I had a friend tell me that he’s rethinking his time on the Internet because he didn’t want to be ‘that guy’ who brings so much pain to his family.

In the spirit of the We Are Real project, I’m glad that I can call Cheryl my friend. And I’m glad that I have a friend that helps me learn some valuable life lessons like what she’s taught me about the power of transparency.
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–Cheryl here:

It’s been great getting to know Dan as well. Please take the time to read my post at his site.

What about you?
Have you had the opportunity to develop friendships online? Have they been healthy? Tell me more in the comments section.