Ever have one of those days when you feel like a total failure at life?
Ever get so down and discouraged that you’re tempted to give up on your goals and dreams?
Me too. But fortunately, that’s not the end of the story.
faith
Yes, You Were Meant to Meet That Snake on the Road.
The pavement on the rural road was riddled with cracks, and at first that’s what I thought it was … a sinuous gap stretched before me like a finish line. I had ten more minutes left on my Memorial Day weekend run, and I was deep into that hypnotic running trance.
My feet lifted and fell, lifted and fell. Thoughts rose and receded; Katy Perry’s “Roar” scrolled through my mind. It was my story, after all – the story of a girl who loses her voice then gets it back.
“I used to bite my tongue and hold my breath
Scared to rock the boat and make a mess … “
Do You Risk Reaching Out?
Have you ever received an invitation that made your heart say YES before your mind could even catch up? Ever had such a strong gut feeling that you needed to be at this exact place, doing this exact thing?
That’s how I felt when I was asked to give the keynote speech at this year’s Heart of L’Arche Fundraising Breakfast in Arlington, Virginia on April 25, 2018.
Titled, “Risk Reaching Out,” this talk was part of a program that helped raise over $135,000 to support the L’Arche Greater Washington DC community.
L’Arche is a worldwide nonprofit that creates homes where people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities share life together.
(I served in various roles there for five years, and it’s where my husband Jonathan and I met. The people there are family, and they are with me wherever I go.)
Click here to watch the keynote talk on YouTube, or press play below. I also include the approximate text of the talk, so you can read along.