This is what September taught me:

I discovered that I can do “nothing” (productivity-wise) without feeling anxious if I’m holding a baby. They are precious and live in the present. They’re not afraid to tell you that they need something. I want to be like them in that way.

“Trust the wait. Enjoy the beauty of becoming. When nothing is certain, anything is possible.” | Mandy Hale |

“God made truth a relationship, not an idea. When you’re in the presence of truth people aren’t treated poorly.”

“He is so spacious, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in Him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken & dislocated pieces of the universe get fixed together & fit together in vibrant harmonies all because of His death, His blood that poured down from the cross.” | Colossians 1 |

We don’t have to fill up our days to the brim. Productivity is healthy when balanced with rest, so find time to be still.

“Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see & hear him clearly. Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve.”

Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.

“He holds everything together.”

This month, I started training in the Montessori style to work with children in church. (We do Montessori-style “Sunday school” with them.) It’s all about treating a child with dignity, meeting their developmental needs, and seeing past outbursts to solve or diffuse problems. It’s teaching them to honor work, order, beauty, and stillness, because often times we find the Father there. Ultimately, it’s treating a child like a human because they are one. It’s slowing down to their pace so they feel seen and understood. And I realized this perspective doesn’t only apply to child-adult relationship, but ANY human interaction.

I learned that irritation and bitterness within me is more a reflection of my brokenness than someone else’s. God often places people in your life that rub you the wrong way to teach you something about your heart and show you how to love.

This is what September taught me.