What I believe today, and where my journey has brought me (so far):
1. Embrace Difficulty I've learned that it is not in good times that I grow. Not that I don't enjoy and welcome the periods when my life is peaceful, when there is plenty, when I am well-loved by those around me. But I have come to recognize that difficulty and heartache are the necessary ingredients to change, and out of every hard stage, I have emerged stronger, braver, and more capable of loving others.
2. Live in Community I wanted so badly to be an island, to accomplish everything on my own, to go through life hidden and unseen. You guys, that is a horrible way to live. My journey has brought me into the lives of so many amazing people, and it has shown me how important living in community is. Of course it is hard at times. Absolutely I have been hurt, and I'm sure I've done some hurting. We aren't perfect, none of us. But we need each other.
3. Be Open I loved my walls that I put up. I thought they protected me, kept me safe from harm. And maybe they did, for a while. But they also hurt me. They kept me from truth, from love, from freedom. Don't live inside the walls. Live in openness to all that this messy, beautiful, challenging life has to offer. Never stop learning. Never stop trying new things. Never give up.
4. Practice Honesty My first experiments with lying centered around keeping painful secrets and trying to be someone I wasn't. But deceit soon became a part of who I was. Being honest and telling the truth are still difficult for me. It's scary to offer myself up without half-truths and manipulations. I couldn't be open, living in community, and embracing difficulty if I continued to be dishonest.
Thanks for joining me this month! I hope everyone reading has had the opportunity to reflect on their own journey of faith and gained a better understanding of the people and circumstances that have contributed to who they are today.
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