Sweet webinar with Annie Downs (via The Influence Network classes)... (SO GREAT! Loved Annie, loved her teaching, loved the ease of just logging on and listening!)
So through this little class Annie encouraged us to write through these seasons {{the ones we're living- while we're living them}}.. "We can write brave, honest, timely, wise, hope-filled, life-giving words."
She made me want to get writing -in my journal as much as here...
She also made me want to take a minute and define this season [for myself- and for anyone else who may find themselves in a similar space]...
J & I are certainly still transitioning to life in Raleigh. Like stepping into high school for the first time, we are undoubtedly the little-fish-in-a-big-pond all over again. Beach kids to city kids. Over a year ago we left life at comfy, cozy home, abounding with family and friends and involvement and activities that took no more guess-work because we'd been at them so long.
This season though- this one has blown the top off for me- in terms of what I expected, what I hoped for and what I find myself hoping for..
Honestly I think I expected the season of dryness -where we didn't know very many people and, I at least, had very little going on. But honestly-still, I was looking forward to that. We came from a busy-busy life that needed the revamping. I was sure we'd make friends fairly quickly, and we did, but what I didn't realize is how slow it would actually feeeeel.
What feels like forever, and rightfully so, is not the meeting people or the making friends, it's the depth of friendship that takes so long to grow. It is a rarer jewel that needs to be mined. These deep-flowing waters are not a river swooshing by; they are a new deep well that first has to be dug and established before any drawing can be done.
If I ever cherished a deep-rooted friendship before, the thankfulness has been multiplied by a billion. The fact that what was established and natural for so long but was no longer near was a stark realization I was only minimally prepared to face. Where I used to wake up and draw from many wells throughout any given day, I now wake to an empty plain, littered with new faces I've yet to encounter.
Of course there's great opportunity and I can't help but recognize a heap of divine purpose! Ultimately I'm pushed to draw from The Well of God's character and presence. I may have already known not to rely on finite creations to satiate my God-given desire for community, but I didn't always have to walk it out before...
Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)And so here we are...
Constantly going to The Source and kicking up some dirt along the way -asking God to fill this empty space with new, deep, life-giving friendship wells.
