Connecting to others doesn’t come naturally to me. Part of it is that I’m wired as an introvert. I get energy from my alone time. Part of it has to do with past hurts experienced at the hands of people I thought I could trust. But I’m working on finding the courage to connect with others. It’s hard to be vulnerable. But I know when those points of connection are found, they are amazing.

Lately I’ve been sharing more here, and having people in my life respond with love and compassion. Some of that has been through blog comments and Facebook posts. Others have been in-person conversations, and still others have been texts and private messages. I’m thrilled to be finding connection to some women in our congregation – what a blessing that is! I’m grateful for the opportunity to minister to them, and be ministered to in return.

It’s been a while since I’ve had that in a church. Our first congregation was like that – I had a group of women that I met with regularly and we would read books on marriage and talk about them. It was beneficial for all of us, and built the relationships and trust between us all for a time. Then we moved a couple of times, and I struggled to find any kind of connection with women in the congregations. There were glimmers here and there, from walking partners to folks who were great to share a drink and a conversation, but beyond that I didn’t really find anyone that could be trusted with my heart’s deepest needs.

Here, I’ve found a circle of women who fit that need incredibly well, and another, larger circle that will take more time to get to know. I’m amazed by how loving and caring our people are towards each other and to us, and I can’t wait to see where God takes us next!