It’s been quite some time since I’ve made regular appearances on Facebook and on social media. I’ve needed a moment to breath. My family and I have needed a moment to finish big personal projects and cultivate a household for our new homeschool life. But, what really got me was when my uncle Doug passed away unexpectedly this April.

When I was young, I was much closer to my uncle Doug and his wife Teresa. My uncle lived right next door to his sister, my aunt Lisa, and right across the way from his sister, my aunt Lois. Going to any of their homes was so awesome because I got to see everyone at the same time! I loved spending the night at Teresa and Doug’s house. They didn’t have children so I would get all of their attention AND I had both of my aunt’s right there too! They made me feel so special!

That time in my life seemed the most simple. Being so young that I didn’t understand all the “adult” problems they were all facing. All I knew was the joy I felt when I was with them all. And then, it all took a turn. Everyone started parting ways from that little family compound and my family experienced a huge life change with my parents separation and then soon after they divorced. Everyone I loved, my safety and security began leaving me. Oh, how Satan has had a field day using this over the years of my adult life. He took that division that I experienced as a young girl and put up all the walls around my heart to keep me from experiencing the love of community as a young adult. Surface level friendships are all I’ve known for decades.

While we were making that ten hour long drive home from my uncle Doug’s funeral, God spoke to me so clearly. He told me, “No more Facebook. You have to be face-to-face.” Man-O-Man did that open my eyes! I need to show up differently IN peoples lives and stop consuming the information about who, what and where they CHOOSE to post on social media. There are no depths in a Facebook “friend” relationship. Real life is experienced FACE-TO-FACE, dealing with the nitty gritty together, celebrating the wins together, navigating/mourning the loss of family together!

There are so many moments that will be experienced in the face-to-face that can’t be revealed in a photo and a Facebook post!

In the beginning of Luke, it describes the infertility struggle that Zechariah and his wife Elizabeth faced. They were old but God still had a plan for them. When Gabriel, an angel of the Lord, came to visit Zechariah to reveal that he would have a son, Zechariah didn’t believe the angel. In that very moment of disbelief, Zechariah’s voice was taken from him!! I’m just imagining that God didn’t want him coming home to his wife speaking any disbelief about this pregnancy! For the first five months of their pregnancy they were in seclusion.

Six months later God sent the angel Gabriel to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah’s niece, Mary. Gabriel revealed to Mary that she would conceive a Son and was to name Him Jesus. He also revealed to her that her aunt Elizabeth had conceived a baby boy too! Mary rejoiced when she found out the news of her aunt and uncle being pregnant!! She got her things together and immediately made her way to their door step to congratulate them! When Mary congratulated her aunt Elizabeth, her aunt’s baby LEAPED for joy in her womb!! Mary spent the next three months with her family.

Could you imagine when God revealed to Mary that her aunt Elizabeth was six months pregnant, if she decided she didn’t have the time to show up so she wrote her a Facebook message, “Congrats!”??? Instead, she took the time out of her schedule and WENT to greet Elizabeth. When Mary excitedly congratulated her aunt, Elizabeth’s baby leaped for joy in her womb! Doesn’t it hit differently when you have a real human standing at your door there to congratulate you and love on you instead of a message in your inbox?? There was something uniquely powerful about Mary’s physical presence there with Elizabeth, and not just her presence but the presence of the One that she carried. Elizabeth and her baby were full of joy because they were in the presence of God through the person of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Y’all, I want to make someone’s “baby” LEAP! And, I want someone to make my “baby” leap for joy too!! Not because of ME but because of Jesus!

How are you going to show up differently?

I can’t expect for someone to just show up for me. Waiting on them has failed me over and over again. . I HAVE TO SHOW UP FIRST and I have to show up well! I have to show up healed. I have to show up like Mary did, with LOADS of faith in God!

And, just as the angel Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary, “Do not be afraid.”

Go check out our latest episode of Thrive Around the Table! We recorded our Thrive event, Friendsgiving! It was so good and one of our fave events and we just had to share it with all of you that couldn’t make it! Link below!