Goodbye Midland Part 2

Picture of the girls when we moved into our first house in Midland 2017

Goodbye Midland Part 2 ... The last two moves I have written letters to my homes, but not this time. My sweet friends, YOU have been my safe place to land and so this letter is to you.

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Dear Women of Midland ... For 5 years now I've lived in this desert town and the weight of leaving you all feels like I swallowed a heavy rock that is lodged in the center of my chest. At church this morning, James preached on Psalm 84:4

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“Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.”

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He commented about when you have God dwelling inside you people want to be near you, and also when other people are dwelling with God you want to dwell with them too. There began the weight in my chest as I started to recall all the women in my circle. I started my Midland journey with 2 friends, one from childhood and one from college. They took care of me, invited me often, watched my kids and took me out to dinner. But you know what is more amazing than that? They dwell with God. One is going back to school to learn sign language because God called her long ago "to use her hands to speak." The other started a non-profit after school program to educate children in the WORD. (You two are what I pray my children find in friendships)

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Then as Midland does, it sucks you into community, my circle began to grow and I learned what it meant to see people often, to know their stories and their hurts and to meet each other where we are on a regular basis... and I have grown to love you for all you have done for me and for others, but more than that... you dwell with God. 

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+One friend gave up her house to live in a tiny home (with three kids) to establish a village for the homeless 

+Many give up weeknights and many random hours to spend time with and meet the needs of teenage moms 

+One runs a school for disabled children 

+Two are fostering children they may or may not end up adopting

+One is fighting for the rights of the sexually abused in a courtroom 

+Three are teaching children the gift music 

+One is driving 45 min to church every week to sing her heart out to lead us in worship 

+One is praying for my family whom she has never met 

+Many have adopted children out of a broken system and are willingly fighting battles they inherited 

+One is showing me how she still seeks the Lord in the midst of postpartum depression 

+One who is watching her two boys deteriorate with a genetic disorder as they age and is still praising God

+One who is using her medical knowledge + natural medicine to heal in a real way

+Two who are counseling and walking into the hurt with others

+All the single ladies serving their hearts out, you inspire me

+One who made my family a full Christmas dinner while we quarantined and spent the holiday alone

+One who dreamed big creative thoughts with me and entertained ideas with excitement

+My community group girls who showed up (and with the best food) week after week, year after year, because of the commitment to community

+So many who are walking in motherhood open, honest, and struggling right alongside me

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These are just a few of the many. Thank you for being vulnerable with me, for porch drop-offs, for watching my kids and all the snacks associated with that, for answering phone calls with a crying me on the other end, for so much encouragement, and for letting me be part of your stories too.

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If I am ready to run the race of the next chapter of our life in ministry it is because you have been my jogging partners. If I am untangled from the traps of this life it is because you have cut the ropes. If I am sharp at all it is because you have been my iron. You are all my heroes, my great cloud of witnesses and I absolutely love each one of you in a way I didn't know I could. 

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Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us 

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Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

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See you at the Goatel