Believing Us Into Being

I am a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn’t have the heart to let him down.
          Abraham Lincoln 

As we’ve shared several times this year, Abraham Lincoln has been a very significant historical figure for us. We love to read books about his character and example, to visit sites where he lived and made an impact, to see movies about his life and legacy and to collect inspiring quotes of his that stand the test of time. With a new movie, Lincoln, directed by Steven Spielberg, having been released this past week about the last four months of his life, his life and legacy have been prominent on our minds. And today, November 19, was the day in 1863 that Lincoln gave his Gettysburg Address, considered one of the finest speeches in American history.

Four score and seven years ago …
Last week was a very discouraging week for us. We had several high expectations about certain answers that were to come our way, about certain financial donations that were promised to us, about certain people responding to our time-sensitive requests. But most of the answers we needed didn’t come – at all. The donations we were waiting for hadn’t yet arrived by week’s end. The people we counted on to get back with us, didn’t.

But it’s in those times, especially in those times, where we need to take a step back and refocus on all that has happened for us, on all that has come our way, on all those who – often unexpectedly and just when we needed to know it most – have believed in us. In many ways, this blog is a shout out to those of you – all of you – who have believed in our gifts and abilities, to those of you who have believed this mission into being. This message today is us giving thanks to you:

• for the pro bono legal work we were given,
• for the free website design,
• for the encouraging messages we’ve received,
• for the prayers that were offered,
• for the financial support we have gotten,
• for the referrals from you who think we have something healing to offer to others,
• for the invitations to speak and to share with other groups,
• for the networking opportunities we’ve been including in,
• for the professional consulting advice that was shared,
• for the business advice (because Lord knows we need it!!),
• for the Facebook “likes” and “sharing” of our blogs,
• for the linking with other non-profits, and
• and for those who have been publicizing our mission and bringing awareness to it.

We have made it a vital part of every day that we work together to talk about and share with one another the good things that have come to us, because we know that it is essential to remember all of it. And we especially do not want to take for granted every one of you who have encouraged us, helped us, affirmed us and reminded us, when we may have been inclined to forget, that our work is necessary and significant and of value.

You have believed us into being.

It is in remembering who you are that gives us courage, that gives us hope, that gives us the belief that we are part of something worthwhile.

So, we want to encourage you, right now, to ask yourself – who is “believing you into being”? Who is spurring you on when you need to be encouraged, affirmed, loved, cared for, valued?

In this week of Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you – each one of you – who are continuing to believe us into being. We want you to know that we believe in you too. We believe that you who are searching for guidance and insights and meaning in your lives deserve to find it, that those of you who want deeper relationships have the ability to develop them, and that those of you who need to know that you are innately worthy of love and acceptance can learn to embrace your value.

You deserve that safe place where you, no matter what the issue can come to share, to unburden yourselves, and to find clarity, healing and well-being. In the spirit of Lincoln, we know that there are so many who have believed in us and we are grateful for you. We want to do the same thing for you, to believe you into being too.

Photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash