Hey Hey! I hadn't checked in lately and wanted to have a quick encouragement for ya as we are moving swiftly through 2026....Let's talk more about Community and Friendships, especially as Introvert Sisters....
The older you get, the harder it feels….
When I was younger, making friends and being in community was easier as a Mom with littles. Playgroups and kid’s extracurriculars brought us into the community. The older the kids got, the less engaged I found myself with other Moms…
There’s a thing in the business world called a scarcity mindset…where you believe and settle for less than the best because you feel there is not the potential for more of whatever it is.
We need to be aware of this within our relationships too. I thought friendship meant loyalty at all costs.
Hold on. Work harder. Try to fix it. Try to be more understanding….and when it felt “hard” I took the blame and assumed I was the problem because it had to be kept. Insecurity works like that inside an anxious heart.
Hold on. Work harder. Try to fix it. Try to be more understanding….and when it felt “hard” I took the blame and assumed I was the problem because it had to be kept. Insecurity works like that inside an anxious heart.
But maturity (aka: wisdom) teaches you:
There is a season for everything. Healthy friendships come and go in their due season and some seasons are lifetime, others are a one and done harvest. Scarcity says make it last even in despair, even if it’s dying. However, a healthy relationship in a healthy season will not require you to shrink your heart, question your worth, or constantly explain yourself.
Healthy friendships are sustaining, not suffocating…they feel like playfulness and peace, not pettiness or pressure.
They look like:
• mutual encouragement leading each other towards Christ and not just fluffy stuff
• truth in love always with her heart in hand
• space to learn & grow
• celebrating each other’s wins without comparison
• truth in love always with her heart in hand
• space to learn & grow
• celebrating each other’s wins without comparison
You can breeeeeathe in friendships like that.
Scripture offers a beautiful image of healthy relationships when it says:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17
This kind of sharpening is not selfish, harsh or destructive.
Aligned (equally yoked) friendships inspire Godly growth, just like a plant grows when nourished and cared for.
They encourage courage through the sharpening and belief in the personhood of who she is.
They hydrate us with the Living Water in dry lands, reaching out a hand when the world has kicked them down.
Instead of leaving us feeling smaller, these relationships help us become stronger and a woman who feels stronger fulfills her God given authority and calling with more zeal and fortitude.
God ALSO allows us to experience friendships that reveal what isn’t aligned. Sometimes the paths just become separate paths and over time you may notice things like:
• feeling drained after every interaction
• walking on eggshells to keep the peace
• your successes being met with silence instead of celebration
• misunderstandings where there should be clear communications
• walking on eggshells to keep the peace
• your successes being met with silence instead of celebration
• misunderstandings where there should be clear communications
Those moments are invitations for discernment, and releasing.
Abundance in healthy friendships WILL sharpen you, raise you UP and NOT feel like a weight you must carry.
The right friendships inspire you.
They challenge you in love.
They remind you who you are when life tries to make you forget.
They challenge you in love.
They remind you who you are when life tries to make you forget.
And perhaps the most beautiful kind of friendship is this:
A woman who loves God, celebrates your growth, and walks beside you as you both keep becoming….stepping into the mission and calling God has placed on your life to live out as Sisters, but ALSO in Community..
Those friendships are a precious few. God loved all but even He spent His most private moments with a small circle of 12, even 3.
This is why I wrote Introvert Rising and am now so excited to launch a new Locals Community where we gather TOGETHER…in person and do LIFE TOGETHER!!! MORE TO COME!!!!!
Big Heart Hugs, Michele
BTW: Here's the Amazon link to the book if you haven't grabbed it yet and want to, LOL
If today's encouragement hugged your HEART today, let me know in the comments or meet me over
in my Facebook Sisterhood Community! Feel free to share this blog with a friend who needs a heart hug too!
This is how YOU get to hug my HEART back!
Heart Hugs and Blessings,
Michele
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