Vulnerability Partner

We were discussing ways to stay close to the Lord during our Sunday Adult class in the Mini Bible College. We decided that it helps to walk with someone else, to encourage and be accountable spiritually.  I suppose the term "accountability partner" is somewhat familiar.  But I thought of another dimension to walking with others that can help to stay close to the Lord.  I think we need a "vulnerability partner" as much as an "accountability partner".  We need to be comfortable enough with someone else to open up and reveal the tough times and our sense of weakness, even failure, with a partner who will accept us.  We tend to stumble when we react the wrong way to the difficult times and when small problems and troubles get magnified in our aloneness.        Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity.   I think we begin to make strides with the Lord when we admit that it is in our nature to stumble and when we develop the kind of relationships with a few who we'll allow and trust to be close enough to catch us and support us and encourage us before we have totally fallen.   blessings, Rob Smith