I feel good. My heart is well. My soul smiles. I am moving.
Moving where? Into the next chapter of my life, and excuse my semi-French, but it’s about dang-on time.
The last 10 months set me up beautifully to enter the next part of my story. My job gave me the chance to take part in a unique leadership development program with 40+ other co-workers. We were challenged to “do life differently” and engage with our stories and our hardships to help us grow more into the men and women God shaped us to be.
Me with my life group leader Alex. She calls me “Mel-Mel.” We’re both Georgia Bulldawgs.
In this community of people from different walks of life, we shared our struggles, our triumphs and how through it all they were bringing us back to Jesus. I came face to face with the grief and mourning of several losses, some that I’d started to grieve two years ago and needed to grieve in new ways and others that I’d hadn’t had the space to grieve yet that came out in full-emotion.
Those 10 months were hard at times. They were relentless in the growth and changes they brought. But I found more of myself in the journey of “doing life differently”:
I found my writing voices – grieving, mourning, living, laughter, theology and culture.
I found my defined dreams and anchors for my hopes – career, relationships and writing projects.
I found my beauty – in the woman I became and the excitement for the woman who’s to come.
Phoebe, Ali, Katie and me with our coach Dayle at the unforgettable tacky prom. We’re all creatives – dancers, writers, artists. Dayle challenged us to dig deeper and embrace the women God made us to be.
I found friendships – people who spoke life to me, journeyed with me and willingly stepped into the rawness and grittiness of my life and my pain, but also rejoiced in my new adventures and fun.
The gift of the last 10 months are priceless to me. I’m grateful for a work environment that provides a safe place for their people to grow professionally while also caring about our spiritual health. I was nurtured and healed.
I am changed forever because of this opportunity.
These 10 months provided rest for my weary soul, renewal as a missionary and healing through my losses. I was given room to simply “just be.” I wish every person in the world had the chance to experience a year of renewal, healing, personal development, life coaching, intentional relationships and safe community like our class did.
We out this piece!
A place where vulnerability is welcomed and brokenness cherished.
To be known and fully know others: this is what the Lord wants us to experience in freedom with him and everyone else.
This is who he is.
This is who he wants us all to become.
A place where vulnerability is welcomed and brokenness is cherished. Love that perception. It’s a choice–to see being vulnerable as something valued and encouraged. To see brokenness cherished because we all share in a story together. And brokenness is something we share, something that’s a part of our lives. Beautifully said, my friend. So glad we’ve had this time and space to do life differently together.
So glad we’ve had this time and space together as well. So glad Dayle.
So glad you had this time, Melody. And the rest of us will reap the benefits, too! In your writing and in being your friend…
Oh Julie, thank you for your words.