We’re All in this Together
Healing, Hope, & Her
It was 2006 – my first year of teaching – and High School Musical was all the rage. From Trapper Keepers to Valentine cards, it was evident that we were in fact “All in this Together”.
Fast forward to 2020, and it literally feels like the world has gone crazy. From Covid-19, the upcoming election, and just life in general, it feels as if looming unrest is constantly surrounding us.
Nonetheless, as cheesy as it sounds – it’s true. We really are all in this thing called life together. In fact, I don’t know how I would have survived this last year without my #GIRLTRIBE.
It’s been 8 months since my momma unexpectedly passed away. Let me put this as eloquently as possible – healing ain’t no punk. It’s raw, and it’s real. It’s a punch you in the gut, relive the moment, rip your heart out, kind of process. The truth is I don’t want to tackle this particular process alone – I need my girls.
Last month my sisters - AKA my built-in best friends - did something we have never done before. We went on a three-day girls’ trip to the beach - just us. We knew this trip would be a time of reflection and healing - a time to sort through the unexpected grief that we all faced this year. We also knew that our momma would love that we took this trip. She loved the beach, and she loved her girls. She raised us to stick together through thick and thin, and that’s what we continue to do. At the beach we talked, we cried, we laughed, and we were present for each other. I needed this time. I need my sisters.
Jesus needed his people, too. The amount of grief that this man suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane is unfathomable. He knew what was about to happen, and he knew why. But that didn’t make it fair. Nonetheless, he asked his friends to come with him. Even though this process was one that he had to accomplish alone, I have to believe that having his friends in close proximity somehow eased his troubled mind.
Jesus was honest about his emotions that night. He told his disciples, “My soul is very sorrowful.” He wasn’t ashamed, he wasn’t trying to be tough, he was just real.
We need to be real, ladies. It’s ok to need someone else. It’s ok to need support. And it’s even ok to have your heart ripped to pieces. Honestly, sometimes you don’t even need to give wonderful words of wisdom. Sometimes you just need to be there. I read a quote by Winnie the Pooh that said, “A friend is someone who helps you up when you’re down, and when they can’t, they lay down beside you and listen.”
Dear Created Woman, you’re not alone on this journey. Your friends can’t walk through this process for you, but they can be right by your side each step of the way. I challenge you today, to be honest with yourself and with your friends. Open up your heart and begin to heal.
Reflection
What stage of healing are you in? Does healing ever “end”? How are you approaching your healing - alone, with family, with friends?
Who is your friend that can help you through this process? What characteristics does she have that will be beneficial to your healing process?
What are some ways that you can help others through their healing process?
Goals
Write one goal you can accomplish today (at home, at work, with family, etc.) that will help you with your healing process.
32 And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him Peter and James and John and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” (Mark 14:32-34 ESV)