A Sheltering Tree

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I’ll never forget the moment it happened.  After weeks of meeting with the same group of women for Bible study, one brave sister finally decided to be real.  She peeled back the mask and let us see her pain.   She told her story.

I am sure she was frightened.  Would we look at her with pity?  Would we judge her?

From the other side of the room, another courageous voice broke into the silence.  “That happened to me. too.”

She was not alone.

Her story melted the facade of perfection that had clouded our view.  None of us was alone.  Each of us was beautifully broken.

That night we walked out into the night air with a lighter step.   Telling our stories had opened the door to healing and helped set us free from the bondage of private pain.

We would walk forward together as one.

Coleridge once said that friendship is a sheltering tree.    That day, a sisterhood stood strong to support one woman and covered her with tender care.

Rejoice with those who rejoice,

weep with those who weep.

Romans 12:15, MSG

Q4U:  Have you found freedom and shelter from telling your story in community?  I’d love to hear your story.

 

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