My San Francisco weekend was incredible. There was so much being activated in my spirit and I felt this wonderful new level of grounded-ness growing within me. I do believe that there is something about traveling outside one's bubble that can bring new clarity and confidence. Saints of old spent time and energy embarking on pilgrimages, so clearly this is a thing.
The day before I left for my trip, we had extended prayer time at home group. This is a home group that seeks to help its members learn to hear from God, in community. Encouraging words and images were spoken over and to me, and they were further expounded upon during my travels.
God gave me the best glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge this morning. It came completely unexpectedly, as my friends and I rounded a corner on a coastal hike. I ran when I saw it, going towards the vista point to take it all in. I fell in love with this symbol of both hope and despair when I was 12 years old, and it's meant something to me ever since. It reminded me today of the strong sense of calling I felt during my time at Yale to be a #bridge--between black and white students; the church and society; and between liberal and conservative Christianity.
I thought a lot, too, about the significance of the month of April in my life. My first date 10 years ago, with a college sweetheart, who was also here this weekend, with his wife, who is exactly the perfect woman for him and someone I cheered for as they dated. They got married 4 years ago, right around the time things ended with my ex. In order to make it to their wedding and to be with a mom who was experiencing intense physical and spiritual illness and attack, I packed my car and drove home to LA. A good friend--the one who got married this weekend--was also driving down to the wedding and helped me bring a few items that wouldn't fit. April is an important anniversary for many other things that I won't mention here. What I will say is that anniversaries always remind me of God's incredible goodness and mercy in my life--in all of its brokenness and beauty.
I will always love my City by the Bay, but I'm going home now, to a community that I've been given and that I've invested in. New Haven gets me for the next few weeks, and then exactly a month from today, I fly back to California again for my brother's graduation.
Oh Jesus, may I treasure up all the things from this trip in my heart. I'd rather live them out through your Spirit than hold onto and remember exactly what (in what exact words) you impressed upon my heart. May I embody what I write about, and may they pass through me as I try to follow Jesus with every breath of my being.
I think I'll stop here for now and end by mentioning, randomly:
2 articles I read over the last 2 days, taken from friends' recommendations/Facebook shares:
http://www.refinery29.com/call-girl-confidence?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=adsales&utm_campaign=STARZ
http://www.christenacleveland.com/2016/04/a-liberation-theology-for-single-people/
2 talks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBGNJQWSYHY&app=desktop
http://www.desiringgod.org/
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