Written as an entry for our Anchored To Hope community.
For the last several weeks, we’ve asked you to share the things in your life that inspire awe or that sense of wow.
And, when it comes to what you’ve shared with us, my response is WOW. Thank you for inspiring and encouraging our entire community with your honesty, courage and resiliency.
I recently spent some meaningful time with a men’s mentoring group facilitated by Christian Valley Baptist Church and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio. The men freely shared their stresses, frustrations and aspirations in returning to life after incarceration. One younger man, in particular, spoke of his dreams to become a long-haul driver and how he struggled to do so with a federal record.
Discouragement comes easy. I stared hard at defeat many times since I started working on Anchor4Me eight years ago. All of you know the drill: you step up and out to try, push through painful change, ask others to support you – all this, only to face failure, experience resistance or be dismissed by other people.
In a cancel culture world filled with flawed people who make some pretty colossal mistakes, we can’t help feeling like the world’s finger dangles precariously over the delete button all the time.
We can choose to agree with critics or we can embrace our own story and find it in the strength to keep moving forward. You live out the latter. And so did the men in the men’s mentoring group. They quickly jumped into help that young man make connections and figure out a plan to pursue his goal.
Jail cells don’t contain your spirit. Addiction doesn’t define your worth. As I read and listen to your stories, I am overwhelmed by your grit and grace.
Never give up on you. Never stop finding your wow. And thank you for letting us be a part of your amazing journey.
— Melinda
