How are you, really? 

The question echoes through Gap D’s eno jungle and floats past conversation at the dinner table. 

In my first few weeks a simple “good” or “okay” did the trick - a reasonable response. Even the days where it felt that everything was NOT good and far from okay, I said it anyway. 

And then came team feedback. I wasn’t always honest about how I was feeling, and often retracted from the love my team&squad wanted to show me. A journey of growth began way back in month 1, and now here I am still on the road of not only loving others, but receiving love too. 

These past few days in Costa Rica every sit down conversation has started with “How are you… really?” I’ve felt the intentionality of my squadmates wanting to know the deepest parts of my heart. And in this transitional season I honestly haven’t known how to answer. 

“I just don’t know.”

It felt awkward and uncomfortable to be stuck in this place of not knowing how to describe my emotions and where I was at. Overwhelmed. Excited. Expectant. Confused. Homesick. And all of the above. How do I even begin to lay that on someone else?

At the end of the day, however, I feel so grateful for a community that takes me just as I am. And even more than that, a God for loves every part of me, even when I’m a mess and can’t figure it out. 

So recently I’ve just been sitting on this question. Such a simple one that can open doors to conversation and depth. We can pass it off with dishonesty and no real connection, or we can choose into one another and build relationships. 

The reason I felt so compelled to share this is because even amidst my unknown emotions, I can choose to be real about that, share it, and slowly dive deeper into clarity and intimacy with the Lord. I hope that today you choose to do the same. 

How are YOU? How are you, REALLY? 

And if you don’t know, that’s okay too. We’re in the same boat! We are here for each other. 

PRAYER:

Lord,

We thank you so much for connection and relationship. We thank you for the realness of emotions and the reality of where each of us are at. Today I pray for healing and restoration over the lives of every person reading this. I pray for your comfort and peace to transcend. 

We praise your name and give you glory in every area of our lives here and now. 

amen! amen! amen! 

Thanks for meeting me in this space! I'm excited to share about all the things happening here in Costa Rica from worship nights, new relationships, and ministry (starting next week!). 

Pura Vida,

Gretchen