Member-only story
The Gospel According To My Summer Class
The good news is about change, painful and honest
This was my final reflection for my summer intensive class. Names have been changed to protect the identities of my amazing colleagues.
Our intensive week was intense, to say the very least. My senses were heightened due to lack of sleep, health issues, and the stress load I carry as a single mother. What was revealed to me that week and beyond was something I needed. It was a clear reminder as to how God works in my life, the lives of others, and in society at large.
As I read people’s reflections and heard their stories, I heard their joy and their pain. As Joe told us about moving his family into a new home, I felt his excitement and apprehension. He and his wife both work full time and summers are already so chaotic. He was happy and ready to commit to the next step in his family’s journey.
We learned about births and deaths, job losses, and divorces. Lynn’s story was especially difficult and beautiful. She told us about the long-coming divorce she had gone through just the year before. She told us about how she had felt that she had grown out of it and had known she was made for more. She finally told us about how she had discovered that she was queer and was finally settled and secure in her sexuality. I…
