Connecting at “The Swap”
This past Monday, I attended a gathering at my church called “The Swap.” The Swap is essentially a monthly gathering of women who swap meaningful items (books, etc.) and advice/stories with one another. The Swap was ultimately created for connection with other women in the church.
Now I will be honest, I consider myself to be an introvert. Sometimes social interaction is too much for me, especially after work. But I decided to go to the gathering because as a Christian, I don’t believe we should do life alone (Hebrews 10:24-25)!
So after all of my internal dialog and anxiety, I am extremely happy that I attended this event. What I enjoyed most about The Swap was the interaction with other women. We were able to sit together at tables, worship, play a game and listen to other women share their stories. During this time of sharing, I realized that all of us have gone through or are going through tough situations…I’m not the only one in the world struggling! Some women have had very difficult experiences that they’ve had to work through. They may have even doubted God at one point or was confused by His silence or seemingly, His inaction. Knowing that other women are navigating through life’s disappointments gave me hope; their stories gave me the courage I needed to continue enduring. Their vulnerability was beautifully refreshing; we don’t have to put on a facade and act like things have always been perfect. Their gentleness really gave the gathering a sense of peace and calm…exactly what I needed after a long day of work!
We ended our time with worship and the exchanging of books. I brought a book called Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman; this book really changed how I viewed an authentic relationship with Christ. I was also able to pick out a book that someone else brought in called The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. I’ve heard great things about this book!
Looking back on this experience, I feel that God wanted me there. He wanted me to interact with other women, hear their stories and just be in His presence. Sometimes stepping out of that comfort zone can be more helpful than we thought.