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I had one of those rare privileges this week of being in a group email conversation to a friend who is grieving deeply and honestly. “Listening” to my sistas pour love and wisdom on my friend gave me the strangest sense of safety.

When I’m hurting these women will be there for me.

Here’s a snippet of the conversation that has had me thinking all day:

“How much of it is can't vs. won't? I've found myself mulling it over about all my stubborn sin patterns. 

How much of it have I assigned to myself as I can't do that when it really is a won't?

I'd challenge you to ask yourself that same question.

He can take your emotions. Your anger. Your grief. He just wants you to come and let Him be EVERYTHING that He is - He will be to you Prince of Peace, Comforter, Healer.”

Have you every said, I just can’t handle this! when life tripped something awful into your path? As if somehow our weakness is a good reason for all that pain to go away?

My friend’s words resonate somewhere deep in that hidden place where my will battles it out with my won’ts. And I go back to Paul’s struggle with that thing he didn’t want:

Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, For Christ’s sake;

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:10

From a glimpse of my heart,

Diane

My goals is that they will be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love.  

Colossians 2:2

NLT

Twenty-one months ago a group of women from Solid Rock set out together for Haiti.

While there we did life together in the grimmest of circumstances. And we found both friendship and joy in the midst of all that devastation.

Our hearts were knit together in ways I'd never experienced before with women-- ever. And those ties remain all these months later. In fact, we've been calling each other "The Sista's" ever since, our need for this kind of sisterhood connection transcending ages, stages of life, interests, anxieties.

This week a few of us met for a picnic. I thought I'd stay and hour and get back to work. I stayed 2 1/2 hours, cramming in last minute talk right up to the parking lot and last round of hugs. Once again I found courage with these women. They believe in me, want the best in and for me. We champion each other's dreams and as you'll read in this story, even clean each other's bathrooms…

From my heart,

Diane