Where are you right now, as you’re reading this?
I picture you, like one of my daughters – a 27 and 29 year old, scanning this on their iPhone in a coffee shop or in front of their computer at work before they start their day, maybe needing a reminder that they are not alone, that they are part of God’s larger story and what they do today matters.
Or I see one of the young moms I mentor who may be scrolling through a post while they’re in the bathroom, because those are the only moment she has without kids clinging to her. And she too, longs for perspective in the midst of chaos and the reminder that God sees her and what she’s doing has eternal significance.
But the survey that many of you took the time to fill out (thank you so much!) says that while these are typical profiles, there are women (and men) of all ages who are joining us here. Teachers, businessmen, missionaries, students… And while most are here in the U.S., there are others in Uganda, and Israel, New Zealand, the U.K., Switzerland and Singapore…
But as different as we are, we share oh so much in common. I don’t know the details of your unique story, but I do know this…
We all long for safe places to be our totally messy selves and know there is grace enough for it all. We want to be honest with each other and know it’s ok. We want the reassurance that we’re not the only ones who often feel clueless or lonely or confused about our purpose. We struggle with the “shoulds” and fight not to compare ourselves with others.
We’re tired, busy, bored, seeking. We yearn for a date or a spouse or healing in our marriage. We all show up with our own brokenness, longing for redemption. We are precious. We are capable of more than we think. We are enough because God is enough, but we often forget that.
I believe that God has given us to each other. We need to tell each other the life-giving truth when the voices “out there” are shouting bad news and death. We need to say to each other, “me too” and “I’m listening”, and “you’re doing just fine.” We need to search together for those hidden moments of grace and redemption masquerading as everyday life.
So, this is what I want to say to you today… You are not alone. Whether sitting together at the long harvest table in my home, passing bowls of pasta around candlelight, or finding your voice in this virtual community, your story matters. Your voice is important. We need you because we are stronger together. God has given us each other.
We’d all love to hear from you, either here in the comments, or on our new Facebook Page. If you haven’t subscribed, you can do that by filling in your email address in the sidebar. If this community is valuable to you, sharing posts on FB will invite others in.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for showing up here!
By yourself you’re unprotected.
With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third?
A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.Ecclesiastes 4:12 MSG
