What Glennon Said

I asked for faith and God sent me Glennon Doyle Melton. I mean, I've been reading her for years, but he sent her to me in the flesh. The huggable version. He's been sending me lots of things lately, but I never saw her coming. Glennon of Momastery in Omaha?!! Omaha, NEBRASKA?! Here's what happened.

Glennon's gigs always seemed to be in places with reasonable amounts of people - like Chicago or Minneapolis, so I quit checking her schedule. Then one evening, I was trying to decide whether to push myself and go to a women's dinner at our church or just stay home. My couch looked good, but my friend was presenting and I really wanted to hear her. I went. As I was finding my seat, a dear friend who shares my Glennon-love found her way over to me. She told me Glennon was coming to Omaha. "No!" I said. She assured me. We said we'd go. 

I told my husband the next day and he went straight to his phone. "Ah, honey? It's tonight. And it's sold out." While I curled my hair, we talked over the possibilities of standing room only, them letting me in, scalping a ticket...

I went off to work and talked with my friend who decided she wasn't up to standing. Since it was spring break, Brian and the kids drove me the forty-five minutes it took to get there just in case I could get in. It felt crazy and risky and SO WEIRD for me to be doing something crazy and risky that would cost me $40. (Obviously so worth it, but in our current scenario we don't spend that without due deliberation.) 

I walked into the high school where Glennon was going to talk and saw tables with alphabet ranges for claiming your ticket. I decided to get in line with the A-D's and hope for the best. When I got to the sweet volunteer, I explained I had no ticket but was hoping there would be a way to still get in. Maybe stand in the back?

As I was talking, my voice got smaller and a creeping sense of "maybe this wasn't such a sellable idea..." rose up within me. I stopped talking. 

And that's when she said, "Actually, I had a lady come through line earlier who's friend couldn't make it and she had her ticket. I can call her if you'd like to buy it from her." 

YES!! "Yes," I said like it wasn't my dream come true. "That would be amazing." She called, the lady came, I paid and I was in. I ran out and told my family before we dashed off and ate at Noodles. We were all starving. They dropped me off again a few minutes before the program started. And they went to Barnes and Noble because that's where all good nerdy families go.

But here's what she said that I needed to tell you. She said lots of beautiful things, but these three were so new to me, I thought maybe they'd be new to you too. (I'm paraphrasing, but not by much because I was riveted.)

Pain is a traveling professor and if we are wise, we'll invite him in and let him stay as long as he wants.

I asked God, "Who will not betray me?" and he told me to look in the mirror. "You. You are not betraying you and you never will." 

It is not your job, nor your right as a parent, to protect your child from pain. It's your job to lead them to it, help them face it head-on and tell them, "You were hard-wired for this. IT WILL NOT BREAK YOU."