Week nine was pretty interesting. I think this had to have been the longest week this summer. I spent A LOT of time working, there was a conflict with wether or not I’d get paid, and I did something I promise I will never do again!
Monday, because I was so flustered from work, I decided not to go to small group, which would usually be the highlight of my week. Instead I spent some time with my brother who I haven’t gotten a chance to spend time with since we’re never home at the same time. We played rockband and got all of our frustration out. It was nice.
On Wednesday, after a grueling day of work, I went on a date. A date with New York. I headed to Brooklyn Bridge Park and sat down to watch a romantic sunset. It was beautiful. It made me realize how much I love New York. The fiery sun setting behind the tall sharp edged buildings created a soft sky, incomparable to anything I’ve ever seen. New York is such a beautiful place, and I’m realizing that it’s going to places like this and just sitting back and reflecting that has contributed to making me into who I am today. As I sat there all I could think about what the people there. How they each have stories, hardships, pain, happiness, confusion, everything. It’s amazing how God has made us individuals but all have the ability to identify with one another through relationship. Baffling to me!
On Thursday I got a text from a friend of mine making me aware that Beyonce would be performing at a free concert the next morning. He told me he was going to camp out at Central Park and asked me to joined. Given the nature of my work week and how busy I had been, I almost turned him down, but I figured, why not!? When else will I be able to see Beyonce perform live, and for free! I’ve always enjoyed her music and have been enjoying her new album so I went ahead and met him at 8pm Thursday. He had been there since 2pm! And the concert wasn’t until 8am the next morning! People were pushy, impatient, grouchy and annoying by 7am. I almost didn’t want to be there anymore. But then she began to perform and I forgot about how gruesome the night had been. I had only slept for about fifteen minutes! After the show, I headed straight to work, wearing the same clothes i had on the day before. My boss wasn’t alarmed though. I warned her that would probably happen. I didn’t get out of work until 6pm and then i went and ran some errands. By 11pm I was a little delusional from the lack of sleep. I put my phone on silent and knocked out! Which led to my Saturday of sleeping ALL day!
This week my friends and I started a book called “Captivating” by John and Stasi Elderedge. The past 3 months I’ve been a little more intentional about figuring out what it means to be a woman, and “stepping into my womanhood” and my Brownies seem to be on similar journeys, so we all decided to read this book for our book club. I won’t share what I journaled about and will be sharing with my girls because it’s kind of personal and I’m still working out the kinks to what this woman stuff really means, but one thing I’d like to mention is what Stasi said about being made in the image of God. She says: “
“Think about it: God created you as a woman. ‘God created man in his own image… male and female he created them’ (Genesis 1:27). Whatever it means to bear God’s image, you do so as a woman. Female. Tha’s how and where you bear his image. Your feminine heart has been created with the greatest of all dignities—as a reflection of God’s own heart.”
Be encouraged, all! We have been wonderfully crafted by the perfect hand of the master and bear the image of God. He made us carefully and purposefully and He loves and knows us deeply. This is what I go into the next week thinking.
