One More Life Changed at In My Shoes

Some people see their half-century birthday as their first tentative steps into the golden years. Many take pause and reflect on the last 50 years of their life. Others run frantically to the plastic surgeon trying to escape the inevitable effects of life on their body. It truly is a meaningful time in one’s life; and wondering how the next half will go is a blessing and time well spent. But I say that if you want to breathe deeply into life and surround yourself with loving community and joyful celebrations: turn 50 here at In My Shoes.

Many people wondered if I was having a mid-life crisis a year ago when I accepted a job nearly 2,000 miles from my home. Choosing to be a Residential Core Team member at In My Shoes would mean leaving my own home, my own life, and an independence I had become quite fond of. I understood clearly the sacrifice of sharing everything I have and every part of my life with the moms and babies at In My Shoes. It certainly was not going to be a “get rich quick” kind of job. But I know from my experiences over the years that the old adage by Teddy Roosevelt is true. “Nothing worth having comes easy.”  I knew serving moms and babies wasn’t going to be easy. I also knew it was going to be an experience worth having. 

I sold most of what I owned, packed the rest into a few bags and moved to Dallas, Texas. I know you might be thinking that would be the epitome of a mid-life crisis. And you may be right. I moved from a small town in Idaho to the 4th largest metroplex in the nation. I moved from quiet and calm to noise, traffic, and urban sprawl. Along with this “crisis,” though, came growth and opportunities to experience life in ways I could never have imagined.

One thing I could not have imagined this year at In My Shoes was how meaningful turning 50 would be. All I can say is that blessings upon blessings were given to me on my birthday this year. I not only got to celebrate my birthday with the community of In My Shoes, but my community also gave me space to personally recharge. When my personal time for reflection (and a little bit of relaxation) was done, my community celebrated my birthday in a way I have never experienced. There were birthday hats, pajamas and Ghostbusters…Oh My! I have never seen a party like the one thrown for me by my teammates and In My Shoes Moms! 

The most valuable memories of that day are not what I did nor what I received. It was who I spent it with. We were just a group of women that found a moment in the madness to celebrate life like we do everyday.

“We were just a group of women that found a moment in the madness to celebrate life like we do everyday.”

That was what made this 50th birthday so special. I spent it with people who have seen me at my best and my worst. Through sickness and health – both mine and theirs. We’ve had fights and found forgiveness on the other side. We’ve celebrated the births and shared losses. We’ve been irrevocably changed by our time here at In My Shoes. In the end, they found me worthy to celebrate. My existence had suddenly transcended beyond age and experience. It moved into a realm defined by meaning and sacrifice. 

I know that God is wanting to share these kinds of experiences with you, too. Sometimes we have to shake things up in order to open ourselves to new experiences and new people. I’ve heard friends saying in recent years, “Well, I’m just too old for that.” I challenge that we really are never too old to invite God in and breathe in the mystery of His existence through the people He places around us. I do not know what those experiences would look like for you, but I do know one thing.

If you turn everything in your life,

Over

To

God

Then…

He will get to plan your 50th Birthday too.