Having the sense talked back into me

We had some visitors in town last week. They’re interested in partnering with us in a support role. They’re passionate about the work we’re doing and want to be a part of it in ways that tap into their passions, experience and expertise. It was great having them around. To describe the time we spent together I’d say it was like a slow melting of my heart – slowly letting them in, slowly opening my heart to the possibility of being known by them and vulnerable with them. It was beautiful. As we met and we asked each other questions, as we shared different parts of our stories and struggles and how we got where we are now. It was fun to have meals together and tell stories and listen to stories and laugh – and to let them begin to see the different parts of our lives and hearts.

On Friday morning they led our staff prayer time – which was beautiful and affirming and so encouraging. I just kept thinking how much I valued their voice. Their outside perspective. The way the understand the questions we ask and the struggles of our reality – and yet they have a perspective that is outside the immediate craziness. At one point as an aside Scott said “We're going to go back home, and we have some folks who will talk the sense back into us” and that phrase has stuck in my head for the past week. I’ve been thinking of all the different voices that I have in my life – thinking about the people who “talk some sense back into me.” When my brain goes round and round on the same merry-go-round, I need voices that help me jump off it. When I can’t see past the immediate, I need those voices that “talk some sense back into me.” When I get tunnel vision. When my world feels too narrow.

And I have those people. I have lots of different outside voices in my life. People from different seasons who know me in different ways, and love me in different ways. People who speak truth. People who offer a different way of seeing a situation. People who see a solution.

I feel like the past week has been one of having the sense talked back into me – and I am so thankful for the different voices who have been doing that talking!