Hi friend,
Happy New Year!
A pastor friend recently said something so sweet to me that it made me cry. I announced a passion project of mine, inspired by my own journey and a deep desire to be of service: Mamas In Waiting, a weekend retreat in May 2024 for Black women on an unexpectedly challenging journey to motherhood. (Check it out and please do share it with anyone you know that may need it).
In the announcement on Instagram, I shared a little bit of my story and why it means so much to me. Underneath the post, amidst some lovely comments congratulating me on the launch, was this gem:
Chile, I lost it.
Why did it make me smile so hard? Why did I find it so life-affirming?
It was the lesson.
If you know anything about me, you know how much my origin story as "Tom and Debbie's daughter", a pastor's daughter, means to me. And maybe you also know that during my L.A. years, while I was off galavanting in politics, media, tech and everything else, my grandmother would always ask me: "When are you going to start preaching and be a minister?".
Well, while I'm not ordained (yet?), that random comment was a reminder that when you pursue purpose in everything you do and say "Yes" to a calling on your life, even if the path doesn't look like what anyone might have predicted, who you are and who God designed you to be will always shine through. Trust that.
So if you are reading this, thanks for being a part of my little “church”.
Over the past few years as my life has expanded, I've struggled with how to use this space. It is full of people who have come from many different places. Some from my old podcast The Call. Some from my work as as a narrative strategist. Some are creators I supported at Snapchat. Some have seen me keynote at conferences or their place of work. Some from my activism. Some from my work as communications faculty at a seminary for over 10 years. And some, I’m just privileged enough to call friends and family in real life. It’s quite the mix in our little E Letter crew.
And so common sense says that I should use an email list to promote my work, right?!. But I almost never do. In fact, I bet the majority of you have no idea how I spend my time. To be honest, I’m okay with that. (Turns out, my team is not though. :) I've committed to sharing periodic work updates here from now on but if you ONLY want to know about my consulting, appearances and opportunities for us to work together you can sign up for my quarterly Work Note here. I promise you: I really do stay booked and busy doing things that you might find interesting!)
To me you are not just “people on a list”. We are called to each other. I write here to share hard earned wisdom, encouragement and inspiration to remind you that there is another way to work and live that doesn’t require you to lose your soul.
So in that spirit, I ask you a question that stopped me in my tracks when I read it this week:
If every one of your prayers was answered today, would anyone’s life be dramatically different other than your own?
Whew.
First, what a reminder of how showing up authentically and pursuing the calling on your life, when surrendered to God, serves a purpose much bigger than yourself. The Culture will tell you that you doing you for you and being all about you is the greatest evidence of enlightenment; that focusing only on yourself is how we achieve greatness and freedom and peace. It is not. That, like most other things The Culture says, is a lie. In fact, a closed, self-centered, self-involved life cuts you off from not only love but God, who often shows up in the needs of others that you were meant to fill. I really don’t advise it.
Secondly, that question is a check to always encourage and uplift one another, even as we are doing our best to hold the pieces of our own dreams and lives together. It's not easy but it's the only way that any of us survive as relational beings, let alone thrive, in this crazy world.
I believe it so much that I’ve cleared a section of my bedroom wall for YOU. For real.
On the wall next to my Peloton (we actually call it Omari's Peloton because at 18 months, he's more committed to trying to climb up on it every day than I am...), I'm putting up a bunch of sticky notes with my desires, requests and prayers for the year. I want yours up there too. What are your wishes and hopes? What is something that you are chasing after or desperately needing to let go of? What is something that I can pray about for you? If you're down to share, just reply to me directly on this email and it's going right up on the wall!
In the meantime, I'm wishing you a January that gives you everything you need to launch an abundant year. And yes, I'm praying that you prosper...even as your soul also prospers.
After all, this is church, right? ;)
Love you deep,
