Let me just say this…I love MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers). I needed MOPS desperately when my girls were little. Those bi-weekly meetings filled me up and kept me doing the mom thing until the next MOPS meeting. And now I have the privilege of speaking to many MOPS groups in my corner of the world.
MOPS chooses a theme each year to help guide the teaching, the meetings, the crafts, etc. This year’s theme is Beautiful Mess: Embrace Your Story.
I’m not sure there has been a theme that has resonated more with me than this one. We all have a story. But are we willing to share it. We’re all a bit messy. Are we willing to embrace it.
As I’ve given this talk to groups this fall, I hear this over and over.
Deb, I don’t have a story.
My story is boring.
My story is too hard to share.
There’s nothing about my story that could benefit anyone (this is a huge and repeated often).
I’m afraid.
I nod knowingly because I’ve said the same things about my own story. It can be a challenge to see the beautiful in the daily mess we call living.
The word embrace means to receive gladly, to accept willingly. To embrace our story requires much bravery. From the embrace we may see our story differently. Choosing a brave embrace gives us hope.
Hope knowing we’re not alone.
Hope building others up.
Hope trusting that we can walk through this.
Hope believing beautiful can come from us.
I walked away from today’ MOPS meeting with lots of hugs, many stories, a few tears, and a boat load of hope. Thank you moms for receiving my story with such grace and entrusting me with yours. Brave and messy are a combo deal. You are some brave, brave women!
This is day 15 of 31 Days of Living Bravely. To check out the series, just click here.
