You (and I) have permission to keep trying, keep progressing forward, and keep celebrating the milestones along the way, until finally one day it becomes so second nature and you look back with joy at the journey that got your there.

I nearly fell into the trap—focusing so much on the 'tangible' things that didn't happen that I almost missed the opportunity to celebrate the necessary growth and foundation that was laid.

Sometimes nothing is wrong on the inside—you’ve just been isolated. Sitting at home every day. Working remotely. Leaving church quickly. Only interacting with people through social media (which is a poor substitute for the real thing). If you’re not allowing community to be cultivated—if you’re not being intentional about connection—it’s no surprise you might feel lonely.

The search for our green couch brought me to the realization that my mindset of settling, taking the path of least resistance, and getting comfortable in survival mode—even when I escaped the things I was surviving—has built up this life around me that is full of limitations. Limitations that God never desired for me and definitely does not want for me now.