“If you could risk to tell your story, maybe God could use that, maybe people will know that they aren’t alone” 

I listened to those words through my computer last month as I was catching up on a sermon series I’d been out of town + missed at church called SCARS.  Jay Mayo, our counseling pastor [whom I’ve been to counseling with before] spoke those words.  They had been ringing in my spirit for over a month, and also the word the next week from our senior pastor Patrick,

“God can use and redeem my scar for the benefit of someone else.  In all of this, we might know Him and pass along the comfort of Christ.  Pass along grace and what the Lord is going in your life ****[EVEN if you feel not ready]****” 

That’s where you find me friends.  Feeling not ready.  But also a tug from the spirit that my scars COULD be used for the benefit of others.  I could pass along the comfort I’ve found from our sweet Lord these past few years.  I don’t have it together, I don’t have all the answers and heck my scar is still FRESH.  I’m STILL battling infertility and endometriosis and praying for healing every day.  I’m by no means “on the other side” of this thing yet.  But I’ve felt our sweet Lord tell me to share the struggle IN the middle of the struggle.  This is raw and real y’all.  This is not just me writing for the sake of writing, but this is being obedient to risk and share my story praying all the while that someone out there will know that they aren’t alone.

You can imagine how I felt Friday, when I posted this post: Missing Out.  I don’t know how many visits are “normal” for some of my big time blogger friends, but y’all over 3,000 people visited my blog Friday.  over 60% of those were NEW visits.  I don’t normally keep track super well of blog stats, but that was an all time record.  The post that I was petrified to share, to open up my heart and the thoughts and feelings that were inside.  But I did, and you responded.  I’m sitting at a coffee shop Sunday morning as I write this still pouring over all the stories, comments, emails, messages I’ve received from you.  Not just comforting me in my scar, but sharing yours with me.

All I can say, is that when I went to bed on Friday night I felt this new wave of responsibility.  It’s such an honor to hear your stories, to get the chance to walk this out with you, and to be in the trenches with some of you still.  It stirs my heart and shows me that this is something women NEED.  To get to share how we feel -and I believe that in that sharing, and admitting, and grieving we find HEALING.

So keep sharing friends.  I did not decide to “be brave” so I could be brave alone.  One of my favorite Camp + Asher stories to tell currently is a few weeks ago Camp did something that warranted a “you are so brave, buddy!” comment and Asher almost immediately said “I brave too?  I brave too?”

So sister, HEAR me when I say this….YOU ARE BRAVE TOO!  The world needs to hear your story.  There are things you have been through that other women are going through right now.  Think of the ways God could redeem YOUR SCAR when you pass along the grace you’ve been given.  If you do share, please come back here and leave me the link.  I’d love to read it! ps- if you commented on the last post, I have responded.  I’d love to continue this conversation, so feel free to email me or reply to my comments!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7, the Message

“All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.

 When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.”