To My Dear Brave Girls

It isn't often you can walk into a room full of women and feel comfortable. It isn't often you can vocalize prayer requests and find yourself immersed in a 20-minute "therapy" session. It isn't often that you feel the love of other women so powerfully you know you can call on any of them for a shoulder to cry on, a meal for the freezer or a special confidant concerning your marriage, weight, insecurities or other social maladies. 

Not everyone is as blessed as I am to have a group of women to meet with every Tuesday morning. Freshly showered, full makeup and fancy clothes 100% optional. Sweats, yoga pants, skirts, jeans, dresses and tank tops. Our group is a varied as our outfits... and we love it that way. We are being the best "me" we can be and we are all loved by one another for being just that. Our own best self. Scared, tired, overwhelmed, successful or brave. 

This month we dive into a brand new study. Something out of the ordinary for us. A challenge. A challenge to be Brave and Honest. 

Brave: Honest Questions Women Ask by Angela Thomas is going to open your eyes to your own life. It will build solidly on the list of dreams you made this past session. It will lead you to places you may have not yet realized you wish to go.

This bible study was the origin of the Tuesday Morning Book Study Intended for the Female Parental Persuasion. Also affectionately known as the Tuesday Morning Group, Book Study Group and Mom's Group. Whatever you call it, this study was the start. The inception. The realization. The spark that lit the fire. 

Several years ago I was stressed, worn out, had a thorn in my side and a deep and burning desire for "more". What I was doing wasn't working for me and it showed. I realized I needed to make a change. 

I knew I was a wreck, but I didn't know it. Ya know? I thought I was doing all the right things, being involved at church. Staying home with the kiddos, who at the time were three and almost one. "Aha!" you say. THAT stage in life. Yes. THAT stage. Get out and go join a moms group! Join another at church! Do playdates! Do all that you can to engage yourself in mom-culture while stimulating the social side of your children! 

But doing all that I could was undoing me. And some of the "relationships" I was in were undoing me.

In the course of that Bible study I realized I wasn't getting what I wanted from my groups and interactions. 
I wanted something more. 
I needed more. 
I deserved more. 
Before you get all judgy on me, think about this. We all want, need and deserve things. Being deserving of something to fill your cup isn't being selfish. By filling your own cup, you can fill to overflowing the cups of others! 

As we studied more, I realized I didn't just want, need and deserve more. I was motivated to do something about it. Now that's something. When you hit the point where wishing and hoping turns into planning and doing. I said it out loud in that Bible study. I said I wanted to start a study group for moms. Focused on moms and digging deep. Getting into stuff. All the stuff. Fun stuff, messy stuff, sad and lonely and tired and scared stuff. "Nobody knows this but I need to get it out" kind of stuff. But it had to be a safe place. A friendly place. A non-judgy place. 

That was the start. The first step. I pushed back from the other commitments and said "no, thank you". Then I called on my supportive and motivating friends to help me out. I needed help to make it work and I knew that. Getting help isn't my strong suit, ya'll. So again, that was big. I guess it became a year of bigs for me. 
Big realization. 
Big motivation.
Big growth.
Big change. 

So here we are, three years later, and I'm excited to take you into this study. To see where it leads you. To see what Brave thing you will be inspired to do with your fits and talents! 

Dear Lord,
May the study of this devotional bring all of us a fresh understanding of our roles in this life you hav blesssed us with. Help us to recognize what is wearing us out and how to change that worn out feeling. Help us to open our eyes to you and the rest that you have promised when we put our hope in you. 

Amen