Last week I posted a picture of the ladies from our Thursday night Bible study at Daybreak Church. Thursday nights are where my passion meets purpose. It’s where God changes lives, heals hearts, builds friendships, creates community, brings encouragement, redemption, love and laughter. It’s a night where we get to see a little bit of heaven and be reminded that:

God has great plans for our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11)

He’s designed your life and mine with purpose. (Jeremiah 1:5)

Nothing in life is wasted--not the hurt, the pain or the heartache-- God uses it all for the good of His kingdom. (Romans 8:28)

One of my favorite things about Thursday nights is the opportunity to meet (and forge friendships with) with some of the coolest women. Women who might not be in my every day circle of life, but women who are authentic and honest in who they are as they seek to live a life filled with the love of Jesus Christ. (See Galatians 5:22)

So what I'm learning is that each lady has a story. A story you’d never know by simply saying hello. One in which compassion, strength and forgiveness meet. A story she's overcome and that can easily be hidden behind a smile and kind greeting.

Listen to me, we each have a story. And maybe you're her. We each have experienced love and pain, headache and heartache, unwarranted hurt and loss, indescribable peace and freedom, great joy when we never knew we could…we each have a story that will inspire, encourage and give hope to someone else.

And we need to share what's God's done in our stories and in our lives. We need our sisters and girlfriends to hear it. We need to let the girl next to us know that she’s not the only one going through it. We need each other. We need to be women whose faith is stronger than our circumstances. Ladies, I encourage you to find a community of Christian sisters and get connected. You need it. I need it and I promise you it’s worth it.

&nbs… — *Out to dinner last week with a few Thursday night ladies!*

xoxo
Jes