Before I get into my post about detours (and this little story I’m about to tell is in fact a detour), I want to share that I set myself up for so much self-care this weekend I’ve come pretty darn close to overdoing it. And overdoing the activities of self-care to the point of anxiety and exhaustion is no longer self-care …is it? Leave it to me to find a way to overdo self-care with my overzealous ways. Don’t mind me, I get snarky and cranky when I’m tired.  However, by writing this post, I’m about to enter into my place of zen. I tend to get so caught up in writing that hours fly by without me realizing it. I hope that doesn’t happen tonight though because like I said, I’m tired. But my tiredness won’t stop me from sharing what I’ve been up to in the past week.

In the spirit of stepping out of our comfort zone, my husband, Bryan, signed us up as couple for a Lifegroup at our church, LifeAustin.  This is our first experience so I can’t tell you too much about the Lifegroup concept except it entails small weekly group meetings,  usually held in someone’s home for a period of time (ours is 6 weeks), which allows people to get together to discuss their faith. The topic of our group is Detours, which is very apropos to our life right now. I’ve been open on my site about Bryan and I’s challenges, particularly in the last 3 years regarding our health. My mom, passed away two years ago, 9 months after my breast cancer diagnosis. Over the years, there have been other detours in our lives individually and as a couple. We don’t always know the reason and it can be frustrating, but we know that God is in control.

Last week was another demanding work week and I was feeling weighed down. On Tuesday, I found myself looking forward to leaving work at 4:30 pm (I actually left at 4:40pm…rarely happens, but I’ll be doing it for the next 5 weeks) to participate in something new. I met Bryan at our home so we could drive together over to the hosts’ home. The neighborhood we’ve never been to was about 15 minutes away and truly something you see in the movies, and their house…even more so. I couldn’t remember our hosts name, so before we rang the door bell, we grabbed our phones to find the names from the previous emails sent. As we did that, the host opened the door and welcomed us in.  I didn’t get a chance to find her name in my email, but she reached out to me for a hug and I gave it. We introduced ourselves and met the other 3 couples in attendance…5 couples in total.

It was an enlightening experience. Once I let my guard down, I was ok. I go through a range of emotions when I struggle to find similarities with myself and others. I will be honest and say I was judging, which I shouldn’t have been. It’s my defense mechanism. It might surprise you that I was judging myself more harshly than others. It didn’t take me long to see that these were kind and loving people. I immensely appreciated all of the sharing that occurred. I shared and I cried in my sharing. It was cleansing.

At the end of the day, our faith is what we have in common and that is enough to see common ground.  I look forward to the next session. It’s all for growth and getting closer to God.

Here’s to new experiences and making meaningful connections. What new experiences are you trying that take you out of your comfort zone?