Why Are You Here?
That was the question that was asked of me at 9am yesterday morning as I was piling fruit and a bagel on my plate while trying to balance all of that with a glass of OJ, a notebook and some plastic silverware. The question was overly simply, yet very complicated all at the same time. It caught me off guard and although I had done a few hours of pre-reading, filled out a lengthy application and been interviewed all in preparation for the meeting, I had never been specifically asked what my ultimate reason was for signing up.
The next 5 hours were spent discussing Foundational Truths and Relationship Principals. Pretty deep stuff for a Saturday morning. I walked into that room expecting to be taught how to lead. Instead, I was given an eye-opening lesson on how the health of your own heart and soul greatly impacts those that you are trying to lead. I was mesmerized by the simple truths being presented. I love when my own expectations get blown out of the water and replaced with something far greater!
As my breakfast balancing act turned into a lunch box full of Chick-fil-A goodness, I went back to the individual that had asked me that simple question. And, with a renewed determination, this is what I told him.
Everyone has a tendency to see their divorce as a huge black dot on an otherwise perfect white slate. And while I am not dismissing the hurt and life-long scars, I don’t want to see my history as a black dot. Instead, I want to use the past for a greater good. I want to use my experience to help others get through the pain. I want them to see how our God is bigger then any hurt and that is currently in their life, and that this is their opportunity to hand over the control, hand over the anger, hand over the agony. I want to lead a divorce recovery class not to continuously rehash my past, but instead, to help others have a bright, better-then-they-could-ever-imagine-God-seeking-forgiveness-accepting future.