Lines of grace

So you know how, growing up in ministry, we've all learned to keep our emotions to ourselves? The one thing we could keep private. As well as our issues and problems. Sooo... That makes my newest endeavor so scary. It is so vulnerable but this is the first time I've done something where I feel like it actually matters. The first time where I am actually pushing people to sign up because I think they need it. 

I heard something recently that really changed the way I thought about it all. "Share your beautiful and broken story" since then I've shared parts of my story that I never would have and it is so strange to see people wanting to hear the bad parts, waiting for the good part and grasping the hope that He provides in it.  I cry everytime I tell it (even when I try to tell the "fast" version) and have loved the way each time I do God shows me even more how he's changed me this summer. 

At the conference I went to, one of the speakers was telling her life story (it was a rough one) and I kept waiting for the redemption at the end. It was such a disappointment and so sad when it ended with her finding herself in art and not Jesus. A friend and I were talking about it later and both said how we are used to hearing the good endings and it was a good reminder that this is the only thing the world knows. Anyway...

 thanks to Sheila and her house I was able to get so great pictures for it and you can see everything here - www.melissalyonwest.com