Staying Connected Through Seasons Of Life

Welcome to Episode 3 of Six Voices, One Story.

In this heartfelt conversation, six women, Dee, Shaneena, Stephanie, Rhonda, Theresa, and Bisea, reflect on what it means to stay connected through the changing seasons of life.

Hosted by Bisea, this episode explores how friendship, faith, and community can keep us grounded during life’s unexpected transitions. Through honest conversation and personal reflection, the women share stories of navigating change, moments of feeling disconnected, and the ways God used trust, prayer, and sisterhood to strengthen their bond over time.

Together, they discuss how life’s challenges can either create distance or deepen connection, and why intentional community is so important during seasons of uncertainty, growth, and transformation. Their reflections offer encouragement for anyone learning how to maintain meaningful relationships while walking through different stages of life.

This episode is a reminder that strong, faith-centered friendships can provide support, healing, accountability, and hope through every season.

In this episode:

• Staying connected through changing seasons of life
• Trusting God when life looks different than expected
• How community helps strengthen faith
• Honest conversations about disconnection and reconnection
• The importance of intentional friendship and support

Reflection Question:
Who has helped you stay grounded in your faith during life’s changing seasons?

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:12

Welcome back to Six Voices One Story. I'm Bicea and we're so glad that you've come back to join us. We've been walking together for 25 years through changes, growth, and seasons we never expected. Hi, I'm Teresa. Hello, I'm Stephanie.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Your favorite D? Shanina.

SPEAKER_01 0:30

So we want to pick right back up where we left off, answering the question that was posted on the social media, and that was what boundary have you set that helped form your friendship even stronger versus breaking it. And also the other part was answering the question did you ever have to use humility to save a friendship? So we're going to start with we're going to start with Stephanie.

SPEAKER_04 0:55

So boundaries. Let's see. For me, boundaries that I've had to work on is really being more flexible. I think earlier I had said that rigidity was one of my, you know, areas that I knew that I needed to be aware of and to watch out for that it would not impact our friendship and my ability to establish connection. So for me, it would be really making sure that I remained flexible while still honoring who I am as a person and recognizing that just because it is challenging for me doesn't mean that it's wrong. Could you elaborate a little bit? Just because it's challenging, doesn't it mean that's right? Right. So things, some things can make me feel uncomfortable because it's outside of my comfort zone, but it doesn't mean that it's a wrong thing or that it's something that I should not do. It just means that it's new for me and it's something I haven't done before. Okay. And what about the humility piece? But are there times where you've had to choose humility? Yeah, I always I think humility is something that comes up on a daily basis. I mean, it could be humility with how I choose to say things, being mindful, not necessarily of always, you know, tone. I think I feel like tone is a big word that people are using nowadays, but um just making sure that Holy Spirit is being heard and and speaking through me versus Stephanie speaking through, you know, Stephanie speaking up. And I'd rather Holy Spirit because he's kind, he's gentle, he's tenderhearted, and that is not always my first nature. So humility is always a driving point for me.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Excellent. So boundary for me really has to do with how I define my relationships. So the ladies know that I will throw out the word associate, acquaintance, and friends. So everyone is not my friend. I'm very, very clear on that. And the reason why that boundary is so critical to me is because something that I'm striving for is to be more intentional in my relationships. And that means that I can't put everyone on the same level. I really just can't do that. So there are things that I'm willing to do for people who I use the word friend with that I'm not willing to do for acquaintances and associates. And so that's just a personal boundary for me that my friends are my friends. They're special to me. And so for me, if I call everyone a friend, then no one is special. So that's one of my boundaries. And then humility, humility is what I breathe. I feel like I'm probably not as humble as I need to be most times. Um, you know, how I communicate with people, my expectations of people sometimes require humility. The other thing is, as I've mentioned before, is not being so rigid, being more flexible, understanding that, you know, sometimes things happen and people can't show up, or people show up late, or people, you know, life is lifing, right? And so being a little bit more humble, sometimes a lot more humble, and being more understanding with other people's lives, right? Yeah, so that's those are two big things for me.

SPEAKER_04 3:56

I just wanted to piggyback really off of Teresa. We just had an experience upstairs where Teresa said, Oh, I wanted to ask you something. And so for me, that was like, for like you said, for friendship, that wasn't a boundary that I would set for my friends, where it's like, oh, you don't need to ask me to use me as something. You just let me know heads up, that's what you did. Where if you weren't a friend, you were an acquaintance, you had best believed we need to have a conversation about that before you use my name. So yeah, you're right. Making sure that we define clearly what friendships are and what who what people are and who they are in your life helps you set the boundary.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

That's good. I know for me, I'm going way back in 1994. I was in high school, I used to complain a lot about myself and what I look like. And I had one friend tell me, she said, you know what, Shanina, you really getting on my nerves talking, talking about yourself. Like she said, she said, you she talked about just you know me stop complaining. She's like, You're complaining too much. She said, You make me not the one to be around you. I was like, what? You know, but it it made me rethink about me complaining. And like, you know what? I I should be, I shouldn't be talking bad about myself, you know. And she made me, she made me see myself differently. And then also, you know, to learn, you know what, just to speak more positive about myself. And I believe, you know, her talking to me like that and holding me accountable, I believe it did strengthen my friendship with her. And have I ever had to choose humility? I do have to choose humility a lot in my friendships because I am rigid and sometimes I feel like when people, you know, they put themselves in situations they shouldn't do, and I'll be like, girl, like, are you serious? But I'm like, okay, just just just listen. All you just have to do is just listen. Don't say nothing, just listen, you know, because if I say something, you know, our friendship may go to being fragile.

SPEAKER_03 5:59

So so you you made a point, Janina. You made a statement about not saying something, and so I think this is for all of us. How do we confront someone in a friendship? Like, is that part of being a friend? Like that confrontation where I know that what you are what you were doing is wrong, you know?

SPEAKER_02 6:22

I've actually had to do that one time through one of my friends. They were they had this Christian group, and yet they were still struggling in certain things, and it just become it just it just became it just became too much. And I and and it took all within me, but I really felt like I said, Lord, we have to say something just holding her accountable. And I just said it. I said, at this point in your walk with the Lord, either you're walking with him or you're not. I said, You you I said the Bible says that you know you could be hot or cold, but if you lukewarm, he's spitting you out, right? And I told her, I said, I love you and I'm praying for you, but either you're gonna live for Christ or you're not. That's like that's just it, you know. And you know, she, you know, of course, you know, she was kind of taken aback, but I felt like it was necessary to say, as her friend, as also her sister in Christ, we have to hold each other accountable. You know, you know, the Lord holds us accountable, you know. And I feel like who I'll be doing her disservice just for her to continue on living in a lifestyle that was not pleasing to the Lord, and then have other people, you don't know who who's listening to her. You know, it could have been someone who was a babe in Christ or someone struggling and maybe thinking that that's okay. And I was just like, No, it's not okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:45

What are you gonna do? And I think that the reason why I asked that follow-up question was because what the reality of friendships is that sometimes they are confrontational and sometimes we have to call each other to the carpet. I know I've been called to the carpet by some members of this group and have reflected on those things and said, Okay, yeah, Teresa, they're really right. You need to get yourself together in this area.

SPEAKER_05 8:04

But we've had to do that with women who were once a part of our lives, and we've had to confront them, and um and we had to do it, but we did it in love. And ultimately, I think that they bowed out gracefully. They just said, okay. I mean, I think they understood. Hurt, but I think they understood. So Basia, you asked the question as far as humility and as far as boundaries that I think you said need to be broken.

SPEAKER_01 8:37

That strengthen your relationship, you may have thought it was gonna break it, but it actually strengthened it.

SPEAKER_05 8:42

Well, humility. I think humility is a part of any relationship, whether it be friendships, marriage, humility is a part of it for any for growth. So you do have to take the little road. As far as boundaries that strengthen, there was a season where I challenged each and every one in this group because I was very rigid, and it's eight o'clock, y'all got to go. Y'all remember that. It was it was a time where I wanted to go. And my house was, I was ready to go to bed, and activities at my house were done and over, and I heard everyone. It was like, do y'all know when y'all go to Rhonda's house, y'all know it's a set time when she says it's time to go, it's time to go. But I heard y'all. And but it was a boundary for me. And I don't even know. I know we haven't been there in a while, but I don't have that boundary anymore. At least not with you ladies, believe it or not. The last time we met, I think at my house was Shanina's birthday, maybe. We didn't have a boundary. Stephanie's Stephanie's birthday.

SPEAKER_03 9:44

I don't I just want to chime in about Stephanie's birthday. I saw so much growth that day. I saw so much growth that day because Stephanie was sitting in that single chair with her legs thrown across the arm. And I said, Oh my goodness, look at Rod!

unknown 9:59

Look at Rod.

SPEAKER_03 10:00

And we were there for a very long time because we left to go to the restaurant and then we came back, and it was such a wonderful experience.

SPEAKER_05 10:08

But that's about a boundary that was broken and it strengthened me, and hopefully it strengthened our relationship.

SPEAKER_01 10:13

Yeah, because the one from 23 years ago where you had put one on my birthday. No, no, no. I actually thought about it recently. But that's like Teresa said, much growth. It's a wonderful you even said that. But I do remember that time 23 and a half years ago.

SPEAKER_05 10:27

It grows, you sign 23, 23 and a half.

SPEAKER_01 10:30

Okay. Praise God for sharing. D, did you want to talk about a boundary or a time where you had to choose humility for your friendship?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

The time that I had to choose humility and and a friendship, I think for me isn't it's always important as a friend to kind of you know check the barometer of the whoever I'm talking with or dealing with. So, you know, I as a as a rule, you know, I try to be less of me and more of the person, you know, you know, if they're going through something challenging. What do you mean by that? Less of you and more. Yeah, so if someone, if one of my sisters is going through things, I don't want to always come with the answer or what I think is the right thing or what I would do. So for me, I I want to hear them out, see where they are, and sometimes they maybe not even in the space to handle anything I say. You know, so you know, I think that's humility on my part because a lot of times I, you know, sometimes I can get into a fixed mode. You know, I can just lay it all out. This is what you do, this is your how you should do it, when you should do it, and things like that. But sometimes humility says, Don't say anything. You know what I'm saying? Just hear what they are, you know, you know, you know, just say, okay, well, you know, you're heard and I'm praying, you know. So amen.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

That was good. And one thing that just came out of this conversation so far, many of the ladies have expressed the character trait of rigidity. So to me, that just gives you hope, no matter what type of secrecies you may have, personalities you may have. That's a surprise. I think everyone said they was dealing with rigidity. Did you say everybody? Did everybody notice that? Yes, that was amazing. So God is able to mold a beauty out of whatever your personality may be. He's able to mold it and shape it and cause it to be symbiotic and flow so that it could be an area of growth for you, an area that will enrich your life. So we're just excited. This is see how God has just moved in our lives, and we want to get into more of talking about how we stay connected through the difficult seasons and different seasons of life. So, as you ladies, ponder a season that was difficult for you and how you managed to stay connected through that season. And it may be a challenge because we all are in Perry or have gone through menopause. So we're going to try to recollect when that time came. So does anybody have it in their forefront of their minds a difficult time you were going through and how you managed to still stay connected with the group?

SPEAKER_03 13:11

I like to take that on. I feel like yeah, that was a sigh. That was a sigh. I I think that even now, like moments are very difficult because so much is happening at work and in my personal life and in my spiritual life. And I will tell you that when I am confronted with difficult moments or difficult seasons, I tend to isolate myself. And so I will have to see that the connection was still there because other people reached out to me. You know, I've found myself in situations where I didn't even have the energy to live to actually reach out. So the fact that I have these women who miss me or miss me not responding to the group text quick enough, you know, like, hey, I'm hey, let, you know, Steph or Rhonda, anyone here will pick up the phone and say, You alright? Cause like there's been 42 group texts and you haven't even sent a heart or thumbs up or thumbs down. So I think for me in my difficult seasons, because I could be an isolationist, but what I take comfort in is that someone will reach out to me.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

That's that's really good. Because I do remember this over the years, how you may disappear to certain times. So that's why it's so important to have these connections in life where there's somebody that's gonna miss you if you if you're missing. So thank you for sharing that, Teresa. And as I was saying about the different personalities, so one of her coping mechanisms is to be is to isolate. So no matter what you're dealing with, God has that group for you. Anybody else?

SPEAKER_04 14:46

I just wanted to piggyback Teresa brought up something about our group text. And the group text for me is a barometer because certainly all of our lives are busy. We all are, you know, I don't want to say inundated, but a lot of us feel inundated with just the daily task and all the different responsibilities and relationships that we have. But the group text still gives us, at least it gives me a barometer of where that person is, how they responded, or if they didn't respond. It's just a check-in. So even if I don't hear your voice, well, we we hear each other's voices because we pray weekly, but you know, if it's been a while, or if maybe you didn't make that prayer group, I still see the thumbs up or the heart, or you responded in some way. So there's still an awareness that my sister is out there and she's okay and she's still connected in that way.

SPEAKER_05 15:34

That's good. So I love the, I'm sorry. So what I love is each week we have prayer. And sometimes because life is happening, right? Well, we may intentionally pull back whatever's happening. We pray for each other. We specifically call out that sister's name, whether they're in the group or outside of the group. And then I believe somebody calls that individual who didn't show up for prayer. One of us will, I believe that. One of us will call the other, you alright? You didn't show up for prayer. So it's an intentional nurturing, believe it or not, I believe this group has. It's intentional, and we nurture each other through those times of changing jobs, getting married, having children, going through life situations. We intentionally nurture each other.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

It's very, very intentional, and that's what it's gonna take for you, listening audience, to be able to secure that relationship or those relationships that you want in your life. You're gonna have to be intentional. And as our sisters mentioned, prayer every week for the last how many years? About five, five years, about five years or so. Even we had prayer before that, but we've made it a concerted effort to have prayer once a week. And even if our sisters, that's another era we've grown in. Before you might have been irritated because, oh, why she show up in two weeks? We don't have that anymore. If she didn't show up, something might be going on, just keep her on prayer, what's your prayer request? And we pray every week. And so I think that is something that holds us together, and as Stephanie mentioned, is a is another barometer of what's going on in your life. And and it's just for me, the prayer is so essential. It's is is a place where, like, like they talked about vulnerabil vulnerability. You can say what's going on, you can hear what's going on in your sister's life, you could, and just the heart that we have for each other to lift each other up before the father, for me, that is just priceless. And I'm so forever grateful for that. Anybody else have any reflections on the prayer we have and what it means to you? You said the prayer?

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Yeah, our prayer time. Oh, I really definitely enjoy the prayer time. Not only does it keep us connected with each other, but also it it enhances my own personal prayer life as well. Just deeply encouraged at, you know, just being disciplined, you know, because it helped me with my own prayer life as well. So I'm grateful for that.

SPEAKER_03 18:09

And for me, you know, when I look at us, I think our connection got deeper when we started praying consistently together. You know, you know, you know, I I've heard some person in the some church say a family that prays together stays together. And so I could see how we saw ladies' accord shift as we began to pray, but I also saw how we were growing individually spiritually. I I want to believe it's was because of that corporate prayer. I felt like during our time of, you know, as we started praying more consistently, I saw people's gifts kind of rise to the top, you know, a little bit more. So it's been powerful. It's been really, really powerful. And I know that when I've been missing from prayer, I've definitely have felt the impact of it. And it's so important to me. Like I've been on vacation and like, okay, I want to cruise, but I'm gonna join in prayer, you know, or I'm traveling, I'm gonna join in prayer because that's how important it is.

SPEAKER_01 19:04

Anybody else? The effects of prayer and importance of it for you? Hey, so I just encourage you. That's another way that you may want to deepen your friendships by starting a prayer line. We just we have one of those regular, what is it, Teresa? Call-in numbers? Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:23

So we have a toll-free number that we get to use that allows us to call them once a week and pray.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

So life changes can either pull people apart or bring them closer. Um, and how do you stay connected when life doesn't look the way you expect it? So let's think about it. During times of law, during times of disappointment, and during these times of hardship, how do you stay connected when life doesn't look the way you want it to look? How do you go outside of yourself, like Teresa said, and not cloister yourself and not isolate yourself as being part of a group?

SPEAKER_00 20:01

That's a very good question. I think for me, saying connected, you know, for me, it's always like a pause. So it's always prayer, and you know, I I like to process things before I even maybe can share it to one of my sisters. So, you know, it's definitely first prayer, but it's also I look when I thought about the question, I thought that like how do I say connected to my sisters when life doesn't look the way I expected. So, you know, uh what came to mind was you know, calls and connections and things with for one of the things I use often, as you know, is numbers. So, you know, you know, sometimes if I hadn't talked through, you know, my seeking, I'm gonna say, Well, she would have been one thing ten, you know. And that always gives me a barometer and to see exactly, you know, what they may be going through. And if it's a low number, I say, Well, what does what can I do to make it a higher number? You know, and sometimes, you know, it's just prayer or sometimes just you know something high just but you know, it's it's just seeing where they are and what they need. So staying connected, you know, being concerned, reaching out, you know, and you know, being thate fun for that's good.

SPEAKER_01 21:12

Um you talked about the barometer that we often talk about how are you feeling today on a scale from one to ten. That's something that we've initiated over the years, and we often ask one another. So, for example, I would say, Stephanie, how you doing on a scale from one to ten today?

SPEAKER_04 21:29

I am feeling an eight. I'm feeling eight today because my meals are prepared for my family, and I'm able to be fully present here in this moment. So, yeah, eight. He say, Well, what will make you a nine? A nine probably would be that I didn't have such a long commute, so there's really nothing that can make it a nine. But you know, that would yeah, I'm I'm grateful for an eight today. Praise God.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

Shanina, how are you on today? I'm scared from one to ten.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

Well, at my job, we have Surviving, struggling. So right now I've I'm about a six. And um just you know, through life changes, life situations. But God is good and prayerfully, I'm looking forward to being an eight soon. Well, praise God. Is it anything you could you could everybody has been doing great? I know for me, one thing to help me stay connected during this time is just to send updates, you know, when I can. To some right now, I'm just overwhelmed with life, and it's okay. You know, the Lord is with me, and you know, this it will pass. You feel supported from the group during this time? Hardship? Yes, I do. I I feel very supported, not only by the group, but also individuals. I have reached out to individuals, and individuals have reached out to me. So that's been grateful. I know one time when we were planning to do a session and it was canceled, and I said, listen, can some of y'all still can't go out and meet? You know, I said, I need to go out and get out. And it was it was done. I was I was so I was so thankful. It did my heart, it did my heart good, you know. Most mostly everyone knows that I'm also the only child as well. So, you know, having this sisterhood is is so important to me because you know, I when I see siblings get together, you know, and you know, support one another, you know, I I I do struggle at times with jealousy, you know, with it, but it's less and less every time because I truly have, you know, my sisterhood, and that's each and one, each and every one of you.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

That's a blessing. Thank you for that transparent moment. And then you if you know when your sisters may struggle with something, you try to not exacerbate that, you try to alleviate it. So, you know, maybe you need to include them in more things or or do more check-ins or or be more uh transparent to them so they don't have things to percolate in their minds to make them even worse. So that those are some of the things. So thank you for sharing that. And that's just a real life example of how we stay connected when life doesn't look the way that we expect it. Teresa, you want to say something?

SPEAKER_03 24:09

I wanted to piggyback on Damika's statement because I just want to ask a question. So, what do you do to stay connected when life because you answered how you connect with other people, but you didn't tell us how you stay connected when it is your life that is kind of, I don't want to say spinning out of control, but I can't remember the question.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

When your life is not looking the way it you expected it to, how do you still stay connected?

SPEAKER_03 24:35

Because the question that you answered was, how do you reach out to other people when their lives don't look that way?

SPEAKER_00 24:46

When you say staying connected, staying connected to the group or just staying connected to God? To to the group, the love to the group. Okay. I think that 25 years has given my sister's antennas on my personality. And so I can truly say that when I am having challenges, that at least one person in live will call me. And sometimes that's all I need because sometimes for me, I have to process things first before I can share. So if I get a text or if I get that phone call just to say, you know, what's up, you know, you know, if I want to share one sentence, that's a that that's enough for me to remain connected because I know that even though I may not have shared a lot, or maybe the minimum that I share, it's going to be prayed for and you know, at some point follow up, right? So I just, you know, I can I can say that, you know, do some of the most challenging part parts of my, you know, my life at least one person, you know, and why has reached out. And not all at certain times. Yeah, I guess that's what I need to say, because I could be I guess the you know, the participation, you know, coming in because I'm not one to to uh time.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

So hey, that's that's wonderful. Just she said a phrase, she said, I believe my sisters have antenna on like what's going on. So because you have each other you are each other's lives, you do develop that sense, oh I haven't heard from her, or I haven't seen, or she hasn't sent her her usual text or call. So you do have that that sense that something may be going on. And also, she talked about how a person may have reached out. So within the group, you have individual connections, and that's also important as well, because you know, we're not all, you know, we're not similar swins, you know, we're all individuals, and so it may not be everybody, but like she said, that one or two people may be enough to get her through. So that's also important when you have groups. Maybe Shanina talked about jealousy. It's important that when you're in the group, you work through that. That you I saw a picture yesterday. Oh, so where you at? We're at the Wabs Club. I was like, Oh, that's nice, praise God, praise God. I ain't qualified for that yet, you know. So, you know, you you just still have those transmare to transparent moments when you're able just to ask each other, oh, what's going on? So you don't have those thoughts keeping going on in your head. Anyone else want to share?

SPEAKER_04 27:10

I just want to piggyback off of that question because certainly I knew when you asked that question, I said, Oh Jesus. And it's someone you I'm like, you couldn't be a part of this group, you're this picture, so she should be good. Yes.

SPEAKER_05 27:24

So I'm gonna say that what what I do to stay connected when things are going on in my life, I generally reach out. You've you've already mentioned that. I reach out to one of you and I begin to spill my guts, or I may not spill my guts initially, but I'll reach out to one of you. And I know that if I've reached out to one or two of you, I know that if I miss prayer or if I am absent for just a minute, somebody, one of you, two of you, y'all praying for me. Yeah. You're you're praying for me. So I know I'm I'm held. One of y'all got me. Somebody got me. So that's what I do. And as far as where I am today, I am at an eight, Basia. Yes, I am at an eight. I had a great time in worship today. I had my spin class, and we're doing this. My day has been very, very busy, and I love my eight. Oh. Yes, and I look forward to going home and even with my husband. All right. Oh, hallelujah.

SPEAKER_03 28:26

Eight is great. I am a solid 6.7. A solid 6.7? Yeah, a solid 6.7. No, I mean, actually, if I get a new job, then I'll be a solid 8.5. We're gonna forget seven. We we're gonna go up a lot.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Amen. So, yeah, I'm about a 6.9. No for me, right? But yeah, but it's okay. Like you said, it's okay. Yeah, so you know, and period pause, we have a lot of different emotions. You can't always go with them, you know. Tomorrow I'll be attention. Tomorrow I'll be attentive. So, yeah, so we're gonna close with the thought about what did God teach us about trust during that season of difficulty? What does has God taught us about trust during a difficult season?

SPEAKER_03 29:10

So for me, he's taught me that sometimes he's not enough. And I know for a lot of Christians out there, you know, God, you know, God is enough. God is enough, but he also made us for connection. And sometimes the way we grow in those difficult seasons is to tell someone else your truth. And thus my scripture, confess your faults one to another. Not just faults, right? Faults is so negative. It's that thing I'm going through that I'm not willing to give to anyone. Oh, see, I've given it to God. I have, we've prayed about it, I fasted over all those things. But sometimes my deliverance comes when I pick up the phone and I call Shanina and I say, Right? Like, uh, uh. So that sometimes he's not enough.

SPEAKER_01 29:53

And I don't know if this is saying too much. We can edit it out if it is, but you said one time you call someone just to say, I need to cry.

SPEAKER_03 30:01

Yes, I really did. It was because I think sometimes like people see me as so together and so strong. And I was I was like, Lord, I just need to cry. And I don't want anybody to tell me it's gonna be okay and all that other stuff. I don't want to hear that crap. Want to cry. And I the person's face came to my, you know, to my eye gate, and I was like, I called her and I said, and I cried and I cried. I mean, it was a snot cry, like like toilet paper, tissues, and paper towels cry. And at the end of it, only thing she said was, I can't tell you I understand, but I'm here, and that was it, and I got peace.

SPEAKER_01 30:43

Amen. That's wonderful. And I'll share my tidbit about it. Um, Teresa said God has taught her that he's sometimes not enough. And for during this season, God's teaching me that he has to be enough because people are fallible, people will let you down. And there's a there's a a void in each of us that only God can fill. And if you try to fill it with people, it won't be enough. So during this season, he's teaching me that he has to be enough. So I'm actually in a season bear, I'm leaning in to God for be able to fill all those voids. And I believe that makes your relationship even stronger too. When you don't put so many demands on people, you don't pull, you know, but you'll be able to stay in God. So I think that makes your relationships even stronger as well.

SPEAKER_04 31:27

Anyone else want to share? I just wanted to share that we can trust too through good things, right? So I know that each, I feel like each one of us have had a birthday, big birthday celebration, and that's an opportunity for us to trust, right? That I can be vulnerable and that someone is going to meet my need and that they care enough to show up and do it big or do it exactly how I asked for it to be. And it they didn't make it about them, but they made it about the individual. And so for me, when I am vulnerable, my my trust is increased.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

So one of the things that we want to leave you with is a reflection question. And the question for you today is how can you show up for those in your life when they're experiencing a season where they are distant from those that they care about and love?

SPEAKER_01 32:17

Golia D, close us in prayer.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

Father, we bless your name. Thank you, Lord, that you are blood and you are great. We thank you, Lord, that you have everything controlled. Whether we're going through seasons of high or lows, you are there. I thank you, Lord, for my sisterhood. I thank you, Lord, for their heart towards us, excuse me, towards me and each other. Father, we pray that those that are listening right now, that if they are experiencing seasons of disconnection, seasons distance, boy, that they know that you are the true and the living God, that there is nothing that you don't see, that you care and are a God of compassion. So, Lord, as we close out today, please touch the heart of those that are listening to let them know that they are important, that they are needed, and that their community that surrounds them needs them. Father, have your way. In Jesus' name, amen.

SPEAKER_01 33:17

So, thanks for listening to Six Voices, One Story. If you'd like to continue this journey with us, subscribe and walk with us through the next conversation. Join us next time for episode four.