More Than a Book Study

Some days God gives you a glimpse of the “why.”

Today was one of those days.

A while back, a sweet young woman named Stephanie was going through an incredibly difficult season. She was struggling with epilepsy and some other really hard things, and she told me she found herself in a very dark place.

Her mom had received a copy of my book, It’s Better Out Here, when I spoke to their staff a few years ago.  Stephanie picked it up and started reading. But she didn’t just read it. She journaled through every chapter, really digging into each lesson. She even told me which chapters spoke to her the most and how God used them in her life.

Then she did something that absolutely blessed my heart.

She decided she didn’t want to keep that encouragement to herself. She invited a group of young women to go through the book and journal together. Week after week, they met, read a chapter, journaled, talked honestly about life, and even did activities that tied into each lesson.

Today, I had the privilege of joining them for their final session. I wish every one of you could have been in that room. As I listened to each girl share her story, I was so moved. Every one of them had been walking through something difficult. Yet instead of letting those struggles pull them apart, they chose to walk through them together. Somewhere along the way, this little book that simply shares what God has taught me through the broken places of my own life became so much more than a book study.

As I sat there listening, I couldn’t help but think about my own teenage years. If you had told that young girl who struggled with insecurity, heartache, and wondering what God could ever do with the hard parts of her story, that one day she’d be sitting in a room with these incredible young women studying a book born out of those very struggles, I would have never believed you.

Only God can do something like that.

As I looked around that room today, I didn’t just see girls. I saw purpose. I saw courage. I saw future leaders who are already learning that God never wastes our broken places. I truly believe each one of these young women is going to do incredible things, and I cannot wait to watch the story God writes through each of their lives.

I also had the chance to meet their incredible moms, and I loved every second of it. What an incredible group of women raising some pretty amazing daughters.

On the drive home, Skipper and I couldn’t stop talking about what we had experienced. We just kept saying how inspired we were. These precious girls weren’t waiting until life got easier before they reached out to help someone else. Right in the middle of their own battles, they were creating a place where other young women could find hope too.

That’s a beautiful picture of what God does.

The sweetest part is that they want to continue these book studies so even more young women can experience the same encouragement and community they found together. They have also graciously agreed to let me share their testimonies over the next few weeks, and I cannot wait for you to hear their stories.

Today reminded me that we rarely get to see the ripple effect of something God asks us to do. Most of the time, we simply plant the seed and trust Him with the harvest.

But every once in a while…He lets you peek behind the curtain. And when He does, it fills your heart in a way that’s hard to put into words.

Stephanie, thank you for saying yes. Thank you for taking the hope God gave you and passing it on to others. You reminded me today exactly why I keep writing, keep speaking, and keep saying yes.

My heart is full.