Erin was exactly the person I needed. And the Lord was so faithful in proving that He was the one orchestrating all of the details, from the giveaway to the winner to the time we sat there encouraging one another and bouncing ideas off one another. We talked about our love stories and our Love stories. We talked about dreams, goals and how to make it happen. When I walked into Belle Faire, she had a sweet little setup waiting for me. (I didn't get a great photo so I tried to take one on our back porch.) Complete with a Rifle Paper Co. journal, the book Make It Happen by Lara Casey (which is currently wrecking my world), a wonderfully motivating print by Salt + Paperie, a lovely candle and a super fun pencil! Christmas in May. She totally spoiled me. She also had a bottle of Fiji water waiting for me. Fiji. It's the little things in life.
(Fun Story of God's Orchestrating: So JD, myself and some of our friends started going to a new campus for our church. As I started scrolling through her IG feed after entering the giveaway, I realized that her husband is the worship leader for the campus we've been going to!! Spoiler alert: It was obvious that God intended for us to be friends.)
At the announcement of the mentorship giveaway, Erin wrote a deeply honest blog post about how she felt inadequate of such a title - but let me tell you right now, that is a lie from the enemy. She encompasses everything a mentor is: honest, an encourager, a challenger, an open book of intellectual property, relatable, reliable, and a prayer warrior (she ends every email with, "How can I pray for you?"). As I told her our story and the crossroads we're at now for Jitney's, she nodded and replied, "Yes! I was there about a year ago. I was spread so thin and finally, I just had to narrow my focus. And it has been incredibly healthy!" [deep sigh of relief] Even though I realize tons of people have been at this crossroads themselves, it's reassuring to actually know someone who experienced it and who is thriving in her new season. Everything about the day was absolute perfection. I left there with a notebook spilling with ideas and a motivation that could not be stopped. Seriously, Erin, you're a Rockstar Mentor.
In all honesty, I have so many fears going into this new season of Jitney's but Erin (along with JD and so many other friends) have really helped me to face those fears and keep moving forward. I don't know what I would do without all of you.
