The plane touches down in Houston and as soon as I step outside I’m surrounded by the warmth of humidity and memories. I grew up here and I’m back to see two families–the one God gave me when I was born and another he surprised me with online.
When I created a team of 99 dreamers over a year ago to launch my You’re Made for a God-sized Dream book, I couldn’t have imagined all God had in store. I’ve laughed, cried, prayed, rejoiced, and shared fears with these women. Out of that 99, a dozen of them launched a new God-sized Dreams web site a few months ago. The ladies leading that site are the ones who have gathered in Houston.
The more years that go by the more I realize this: We need sisters connected not by the bloodline of a family {although sometimes they are} but by the blood of Jesus. We need places to be brave and afraid and messy and broken and beautiful and successful and sad and joyful and wild and quiet and embraced and given freedom and loved for who we are.
And here’s what I’ve learned: Most often you don’t find places like that…you make them. You ask your friends to get together for coffee, you start a group online, you open the door of your home. Scary? Oh, girl. Yes. But I’ve become even more frightened of the alternative–doing life without the support of my sisters. It’s a myth that everyone else has magically found a place to belong. Look far enough behind any of those spaces and you’ll find a woman who has built that spot with blood, sweat, tears, fear and faith.
Who encourages you? Perhaps even more importantly, who do you encourage? Someone needs you to say, “I’ll be brave. I’ll reach out. I’ll start building a safe place for the hearts of women.” It might be for just one other person. Or it might be for thousands. Only God knows.
When I get back on the plane to go home, I stare out the window and watch the distance grow between earth and sky. All of the women who were together this weekend will scatter back home again. But it’s okay because I’ve learned “close” is more about heart intimacy than geography. Wherever we are, we’re still together in the ways that matter most. And the God who connected us is with us too.
XOXO
p.s. My friend Melody Ross from Brave Girls Club encourages me {and lots of other women too!}. She just launched a new line of products that she calls a “sisterhood movement” that will help women around the world. You can find all the fabulous details on the Brave Girls Club web site. And look for the products at your local Wal-mart! They’re perfect for Mother’s Day–or anytime.
Melody has generously donated five prize packages and I’m giving them away today. To enter, share a comment about a woman who encourages you by midnight CST tonight. If you link up a Coffee for Your Heart post that’s an extra entry too!
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Welcome to Coffee for Your Heart! You’re an encourager so I’m asking you to pour out a little love with your words every Wednesday {link-up goes live at 9am CST}. Simply write an encouraging blog post and then share it here with us.
If you’d like a writing prompt to get you going, here’s a list I created just for you: 30 Writing Prompts.
Pretty please use this button in your post so others can easily join in with us {link the image back to https://holleygerth.com/coffee-for-your-heart-love/}…
And when you link up your post, take a moment to leave an encouraging comment on the one that’s linked up just before yours. Thanks, friends!
