Who believes in the best for you?
This is the fourth in my series of "How Do We Live in These Days?" series. If you missed last week's conversation about privilege, you can read it here.
We all need to keep a few really good friends around for the long haul . . . especially if we want to spend the months of our lives engaged in work that matters.
People who we've fought hard with, thinking this might be the end of things but it wasn't. People who've heard us swear, cry big tears and maybe drink more than we should. Maybe these are people who agree with us politically right now or maybe they don't (all the better if they don't for it's so good to learn from those in whom we disagree but still respect!)
In my life, these people are those who know what makes me anxious without explanation. These are the people who know I need a care package in the mail before I could hope for one. These are the people I know I could call with a crisis in the wee hours of the morning. They'd be on the next flight out.
They not only want the best for me, but believe in the best for me.
A couple months ago, we celebrated the baptism of our daughter in a special ceremony led several of our closest pastor friends in our house.
It's a lovely story (as to how a ordained Baptist minister decided to baptize her child!) for another day. But for now, I can tell you this: baby girl's baptism was a great reminder to me that I need all the sister friends, mother friends, father friends, daughter friends, couple friends, midwife friends, and so on in my life. My daughter needs them too. People who believe in you literally change your life.
And to give her our faith is to give her our community.
This week was my birthday. To some people birthdays are just another day in the calendar or an excuse to eat cake, I am not one of those people (though I love a good cookie cake). I love the concept of birthdays a celebration. Not in a self-centered “All about me” way, but as a time to re-group, reflect and gather people close that I love. I can't end the day without touching base with all the loves in my life (even if they forgot it was my birthday!). It just makes me happy. I would not have made it to the ripe age of 37 without team Elizabeth going strong.
They are the ones who've pushed me to articulate my dreams even when I've been to scared to do so.
They are the ones I've come crawling back to when failure has crippled my courage.
They are the ones who've held up my head so I could see past my tears.
So this week, I move forward in this new year, grateful for those who see me better than I often see myself.
I'm relying on the Divine gifts of strength in community to show up for the challenges of the year to come. And thankful that I'm not alone in this mess called life. Nobody can do it alone.
Who believes in you? Find them. Treasure them. Tell them that you love them. Your life will be all the better for the community that surrounds you. This is my testimony for today.
