In Search of Someone Who “Gets it”

Connection Groups are now open! Register here.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. (2 Corinthians 1:3-5 NIV 2011)

Flashback to November 2008:

I had been on the field alone (without family or a team) working in an orphanage, caring for ten orphans with special needs who had suffered great neglect. I was in need of a break, having joyfully poured out my life into the lives of these dear children. I sent out my regular email, asking for prayer that I would be able to find some people to look in on the children for a while so that I could go home to spend Christmas with my family. That’s when I received the rebuke for thinking of leaving these children so that I could have a break. How selfish I was to abandon those children. What torment I would be causing them!

“They just don’t get it!”

As I read the words of my armchair critic, my stomach and my heart turned sour.

Have you been there?

Well, join the club! (There’s no fee to join.)

You think I’m kidding about this club?

Okay, well . . . It is not exactly a club, but I do want to tell you about Connection Groups and to invite you to join one this fall. In a Connection Group, you will find people who “get it.” Here you will find ladies who are a lot like you and who will listen to you and, most likely, they will understand.

My Connection Group (CG) Experiences:

After being in an email CG and a SKYPE CG, I tried a Facebook group. My first was a Facebook group for singles, and that was an incredible place of fellowship. I was the oldest in this group (even though I am not THAT old!) and was so blessed to finally have the opportunity to share the experience of singleness with women who could understand me. (I shared things with this group of women that I had never shared with anyone.) We shared about our experiences at our different ages, and about our expectations. We talked about what it is like to be in communities that focus on marriage and family—what that feels like, and how to manage feelings, thoughts, words and actions. We also talked about the issues of childlessness. All in all, we didn’t “fix” each other, but we shared the hard stuff and had the opportunity to pray together.

A year after this, I took a trembling step and facilitated a Facebook CG. That was a big step of faith for me, a growing experience, and a great joy! One of my favorite times with this group was when we would “meet” for a chat session every Sunday. We had discovered that we were all struggling in our church situation on the field, so we met weekly to have our own little church service. We shared songs, praises, prayer requests, scriptures and words of encouragement. I walked away from these times feeling built up—understood and encouraged.

Are you interested in being a part of Connection Groups this fall?

If you are in a difficult place, let us welcome you into a safe place to share and to receive encouragement. If you are in a place of transition—trying to find your footing, come and share your story so others can stand with you. Or, if you are in your sweet spot, come and share the goodness of God and the joy of life!

No matter what chapter of life you are in, there is a place for you to connect with others who “get it.”

When was a time when you shared your heart with someone and they missed what your heart was trying to say? How did you handle this disappointment?

We repeat Connection Groups are now open! Register here.

11 Comments

  1. Annalisa September 5, 2017

    Oh, that must have been so wonderful to be able to meet for “church” every week. We are called to be in fellowship with fellow believers (not necessarily “go to church”), but there’s something familiar about singing hymns and reading scripture with others.

    1. Cecily September 5, 2017

      Annalisa, yes, having our little church service was such an encouragement!

  2. Phyllis September 6, 2017

    I enjoyed being in a group with you once. 🙂

    This time I guess I should have gotten up at 1 am to register. Too bad!

    1. Cecily September 6, 2017

      Thanks, Phyllis! There are still some openings in some of the groups, so I hope you can find a good place. Just click on the link at the top of this page where it says “Register here”

  3. Phyllis September 6, 2017

    Yes, I was just there, before coming here. The open places don’t fit in my schedule, or I don’t fit in that group. It’s okay.

    1. Cecily September 6, 2017

      That means we need more groups next time!

      1. Phyllis September 6, 2017

        There are still more plain Facebook groups opening soon.

  4. amy September 7, 2017

    Are there still spots open

    1. Cecily September 7, 2017

      There are two spots left for the Facebook Groups. Click on the link above where it says Register here. But hurry!

  5. Maggi September 11, 2017

    So sad there aren’t any spots open. I just found out about this great group! I’ll be watching for when the next round of groups are open. I moved to India this past July to work pro bono for IJM and I long to connect with more people who “get it.” A lot of people just think I am crazy for giving up my job to do this. But I know I am where God has placed me. 🙂

  6. Cecily September 11, 2017

    Hey, Maggi! Sorry you missed out on this, too. But I would love to connect. Look for me on Facebook if you want to connect.Cecily Willard

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