building bridges /or/ where do we go from here?
Here's a sneak peek at my kitchen. Not pictured: the rest of the house, which looks eerily similar after a month of neglect. This writer needs to start doing less writing and more cleaning/organizing, for the holidays' sake. And my sanity. All the Write 31 Days husbands be like, #TGIN (Thank God It's November!).
So today is the last day! In hindsight it feels like the month flew by, which is only something you can say at the end of a long and arduous labor, much like pregnancy.
There are so many things I didn't yet get the chance to say. Here are some titles of the essays that remain unwritten:
salt water in the kitchen sink /or/ when a home is your idol
raising kids who serve /or/ unloading dumpsters for fun
not your typical pastors wife /or/ missionaries with a mouth
the lost art of being the church /or/ consumer christianity
slow climb out of poverty /or/ pastors on medicaid
words from a refugee /or/ do you know anyone from the city?
dear 17 year old me /or/ about the way things worked out
the smell of pollution /or/ etchings on the subconscious
enlarging perspectives /or/ resources for growth
Building bridges
If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility. {Henry Wadsworth Longfellow}
For almost as long as we've lived in the city, I've wanted to share its stories. That desire has only intensified the longer I've resided here, the more I understand the chasm that separates those who live in the city from those who live in more comfortable, affluent areas. In my heart, I long to build bridges from soul to soul, person to person, and resource to need.
It presents differently depending on the person, but at the end of the day, we all struggle with the same junk. People are doing the best the can with what they have at the time. Every single one of them. It's only when we know better that we can do better, and I long to disseminate stories that enlarge perspectives, enrich our understanding of humanity, encourage empathy and compassion, and move people to action. I hope to raise awareness about life in the city with my platform as an avenue to cultivate change.
Where do we go from here?
I do hope the stories I've shared this month have begun to stir all of those things in your heart. If you've enjoyed the content, I'd encourage you to keep coming back for more and share your favorite posts with your friends.
If you'd like to continue to journey with us as we walk the road to urban missions, you can:
Learn more about Envision Cleveland here.
Sign up to receive our Missions Updates here.
Partner with us financially here. We can't do it without your help!
Thank you for reading along this month! Since I missed a day, one last post, which will contain links to all the posts this month like a table of contents, will go up tomorrow. The Write 31 Days tab will remain on the blog until I decide what to do with the content. And on that note....