Recently I had a week where I spent a lot of time having coffee with friends…
Seriously, I kept getting invited.
And I kept showing up.
This particular week it seemed my emotions were playing tag and I’m not going to lie, it was pretty tempting to just go and hide and hope someone else could be “it”. I had gone through some personal losses, made some very difficult decisions, and was planning a family vacation. I was really just okay with being alone. Staying busy and being alone seemed like the best option. But, I see now that God had another plan in mind.
So, there I was sitting in front of two of my childhood friends and our adult daughters. I wanted so badly to engage, but I knew that if I opened my mouth, my heart would spill right out on that table. So I just sat there, listening to their conversations, challenging myself to redirect my attention to the beautiful souls sitting right in front of me. Appreciating the gift of mothers and daughters, and coffee with friends.
While I’m the first person to advocate for quiet time and rest, there are certainly times when being by myself is unhealthy. I get all worked up in my thoughts and before I know it, I’m worked up in all of life. I become agitated. My fuse is short. I have unrealistic expectations for those around me. This is when I know it’s time to reach out to my people.
I am so incredibly blessed to have a whole tribe of women by my side. My daughters, my mother, sisters, nieces, cousins, aunts, old friends, new friends, young friends…cultivating these relationships is not always easy. But oh so worth it!
We are made for community.
communion.
common unity.
Proverbs 27:9
Allowing our tribe to lean in and remind us that we are loved, ahhh… what a treasure. How important it is to live in community. I’m a quality time kind of gal. I thrive in community. My soul flourishes when I can sit across the table and look you in the eye. Put a cup of coffee in my hands and I’m all yours.
Coffee with friends is like healing balm.
So, I kinda feel like I need to say this. I have found that there are seasons of quiet. A time when your soul needs a reset… you know… the work that needs to be done between you and Jesus. Friends are great, but they ain’t Jesus!
Maybe you’re in a quiet season? Maybe removing all the distractions is exactly what’s needed. Perhaps, you’ve had too many coffee dates and it’s time to sit down with Jesus for a while. Take in a few autumn sunsets. Pray. Rest. Reset. You have full permission to be still.
He restores my soul…
psalms 23:3
THE PEARL COMMUNITY 