That quote that I had read somewhere, at some point, by someone, unexpectedly crept it’s way back into mind as I sat watching and listening to our TRH moms, allies, and staff during our annual retreat a few weekends ago.
As women we often don’t do a very good job of loving one another well. Not always intentionally of course. Besides the insecurities we all seemed plagued with on different levels, the gaps that exist when we don’t let – or know how to let – our Creator love us well, we can lose sight of what this very special relationship (gift) looks like when it’s lived out in our daily lives.
I can certainly relate. I was a huge daddy’s girl, but I just didn’t have the best examples growing up of what it meant to have, and take care of, female relationships. I did have a wonderful grandmother, who showed me in so many ways how unconditionally I was loved and how valuable I was. She had very good female relationships in her life with family and friends, and loved others well in general, but as a teen I spent less time with her. I know that isn’t exactly abnormal, but I so regret that. She taught me about many thing, and I know there was a great wealth of untapped wisdom that could have made a huge difference during those years of trying to navigate some really rough waters of how to be friends with the girls around me. Instead I walked away from my teens and 20’s more scarred than ever, thinking it just wasn’t worth it to try.
BUT GOD never stopped pursuing ways to show me how important other women are to my life and began to constantly bring that void into focus in ways that were both gracious and awe inspiring – especially over the last 15+ years or so. I know without a doubt that its one of the many things that attracted me to TRH from the beginning. And as a single mom myself at one point, oh how much I realize and admit I could have used nurturing supportive women around me! I longed for something I didn’t even understand or comprehend.
AS I sat listing to some of the moms, allies, and staff on our retreat be strong enough to reveal where they struggle – some for the first time, as I saw others encourage when it would have been easier to say nothing, as I saw them lean in and hug when it wasn’t their first gut reaction to do so, as I saw see tears of release, tears through laughter, and then later as I witnessed genuine camaraderie forming when they had no idea anyone was watching… my heart filled with such overwhelming hope, and sense of belonging for them and for myself!
Women can understand and build up one another better than anyone else can, other than our very Creator. But we can hurt and slice one another way deeper as well. What power we wield in tongue and in deed.
TRH is all about restoring the key relationships in our lives – to God, to self, to creation, and to others. To anyone reading this who supports and gives to make this possible every day I say a heartfelt, heart longing, THANK YOU! You are helping bear witness to women learning to be powerfully loved well, so they in turn will eventually love other women well in the overflow. THIS is a force to be reckoned with 🙂
Marisa