After I had my daughter, I joined a Facebook group for my
hospital’s Mommy and Me group. A few months after I went back to work, I joined
an (in)courage community group
for new working moms. Not long ago, a friend invited me to join yet another
Facebook group for moms.
I have found wonderful, vibrant community in these groups.
My online friendships have seen me through late-night and early-morning nursing
sessions, my struggle to find peace as a working mom, and endless fears and
insecurities. They’ve given me friendship, hope, and advice on everything from
nurturing my marriage to finding a great pair of jeans.
Every so often, I’m able to join my local friends for
playdates with our kiddos, but the majority of our interaction takes place
online. I absolutely love my online friendships. They have enriched my life
immeasurably. But nothing compares to seeing your friends in person. It’s
harder to hide behind “I’m fine” when your friend is sitting across from you
and can see the lie on your face.
I long for that human connection. As a dear friend says, I
need people to be the physical hands and feet of Jesus.
That’s where the (in)Real Life conference comes in.
(in)Real Life is an annual conference held by the ministry (in)courage. You don’t have to travel long distances
or check bags or make hotel reservations. They bring all the content to you via
webcast.
What about the face-to-face part of it? That’s where the
local meetups come in. You can watch the webcast with other women in your area.
From the (in)Real Lifewebsite:
“(in)RL
is the combination of outstanding online content that encourages, moves and
inspires women as they watch in the comfort of their own homes and local
meet-ups where small becomes the new big and women connect, in person, beyond
the comment box.”
For those who crave community. For those have a story the world needs to hear (that’s you!). For those who need a safe place to be vulnerable and un-fine.
I’m going to be brave and attend (in)Real Life for the first
time this year. Join me?
