Encouragement

Thoughts on Open House Preparation, Receiving Help, What Constitutes A Proper Rain Jacket, and Falling in Love With Coffee All Over Again

/ Rebekah Brackett / 2 Comments

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It may be actually raining sideways here in Asheville this morning. The day is so very grey, it felt a bit surreal driving to my chiropractic appointment through the rivers running down the usual roadways. Of course, I left my rain jacket (with hood) in the back seat of my well-loved teen-aged Honda Accord over the weekend, and it is positively buried beneath all the stuff we’re donating to Salvation Army and the bin of odds + ends we had no where else to hide from potential home-buyers as they tour our immaculate house. So my only option other than donning a plastic garbage bag was my black “dressy” London Fog trench coat (without hood). I’ve decided you really can’t call a trench coat without a hood a proper rain jacket. It’s just a coat that repels water off your torso. That’s it. Essentially, it looks like I showered with my clothes on like an idiot. But that’s kind of an endearing look, right?!

Because it’s a dreary, wet, grey day on the back end of an incredibly intense week, I was craving some coffee shop time with my journal. The first place I went to is apparently closed on Mondays. Oh, joy. I wish I had known that prior to stepping out into the swirling waterfall pouring down from the sky. Back into the car I went, sopping wet, more determined than ever to hunt down the perfect cup of coffee in a cozy setting.

The ironic thing is, I stopped drinking coffee three years ago after going through Arbonne’s 28-day health + wellness detox. I don’t crave coffee anymore. I start my day with an Arbonne energy drink that gives me clarity without the caffeine shakiness. But my sweet angel-of-a-sister-in-law brought me coffee the other night as a pick-me-up while I was frantically preparing our home for an open house scheduled for the following day, and now I am craving caffeine in the form of delicious dark-roasted brewed beans.

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My husband, Jarred, is out of town for business, yet we both felt we should go ahead with our first open house. After all, time is of the essence when it comes to real estate endeavors! So I commenced with the task of preparing our home to look like normal people don’t actually live here (…errrrr, I mean, a home that anyone who doesn’t understand the concept of a “junk drawer” can move into). Don’t get me wrong: we are people who enjoy cleaning and organizing (yep, I just openly admitted that — but hey, it’s a great stress-reliever when unrelated to people walking through your home as potential buyers!), and we have already gone through implementing “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” about three different times now (so perhaps I’m not really fully executing the KonMari Method?!), but still — life tends to pile up! So there was a lot to be done before our big first open house.

A couple of friends dropped in Saturday morning, bringing danish and two big black garbage bags of extra newspaper they picked up while hunting down their own packing supplies. They were a sweet help with the beginning steps of moving and staging, for which I was grateful. But after they left, it still looked like the closets and cabinets had exploded their contents into the house’s open spaces, and my heart was overwhelmed with all that had yet to be done. I was working hard, but not getting ahead. I couldn’t clearly decipher what we needed to keep or donate or sell or pack. It can be confusing to make those choices without your life partner by your side. All the “stuff” was running together. I started to panic pray — you know, when you are just saying over and over with increasing fervency, “God, help me. Oh, Lord, help me… Jesus, please freaking help me!!!!”

And then out of the blue, when I was at my breaking point, I received a lifeline from my sister-in-law, Meredith. The only problem? How to actually say “yes” to an offer of help.

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Meredith reached out in the midst of her own very full and busy life and asked if I needed help, and I realized in that moment, much to my dismay, that while I LOVE helping others (and apparently love to pray for help), I absolutely hate receiving help. (Hello, Pride… How very smugly you show up in various areas of my life…) She upped the ante by making it clear on the phone: I’m not coming to hang out. If I come, you need to put me to work…which was exactly what I needed. But how is an overwhelmed lady supposed to ask for or receive that kind of offer? It feels so weird and awkward to put people to work on all the stuff you feel you should have done on your own. All I can say is, desperate times call for…humility. So, I swallowed hard and accepted her incredibly kind, unbelievably gracious gift of assistance.  Let’s be real, people. I was drowning, and the woman threw me a ginormous life raft and offered to captain the ship safe to shore!

An hour later there she was, standing in the middle of the chaos and confusion of me trying to declutter and “depersonalize” our home, with coffee and donuts in hand and an understanding smile on her lovely face. She surveyed the situation, rolled up her sleeves and got to work, guiding me in a gentle, respectful way. She was like a blend of Mary Poppins, Joanna Gaines and Jesus — and waves of relief washed over me in the midst of the mounting stress. Meredith lead me through the Red Sea of Open House Trepidation + Pressure To Get It All Done Just Right — to the other side — a thoughtfully staged home that I would love to purchase! (Do we even want to buy another house now?!) (Just kidding, Jarred…)

Meredith invested her time, talent, strength, leadership and love into this journey Jarred and I are walking, and she did it like a BOSS. Sometimes in life, we need an outside force of nature to get us to the other side of an overwhelming situation. It’s not that we are necessarily failing at a task; it’s that we need a partner who is strongly gifted in the areas where we are weak to get us out of our own head and moving forward on a clear path. I was lost before Meredith came; and I was totally rescued by her kindness and the grace of God to hear my panic prayers. And, unbelievably, the house was ready on time for the showing! Hallelujah, praise Jesus!!! I don’t think I’ve worked so hard in all my life to declutter, pack, stage and deep clean like Spring and Fall cleaning are hitting at the same time…and a white glove inspection might happen just for good measure. Holy Moses, Batman! WHEW! This darling gem of a home better sell quick, because I don’t have the emotional fortitude to go through this showing process a dozen times…

So now I am sitting in the coziest West Asheville coffee shop, catching my breath and enjoying Izzy’s special 3 Bean Dream latte along with a perfectly toasted everything bagel covered in a thick layer of cream cheese. Can I just say, DELISH?! (Jesus, thank You for Izzy’s…) I am at rest here, warm and calm and slowly drying off from my sky shower, while a great mix of music plays and my belly fills with goodness. And it just hits me all at once — I am so, so grateful for the support of family and friends through the wild changes of life. Numerous people we love have gifted their time, resources, care, prayers, counsel and strength to us as we pursue this next chapter in our lives. And it fills our hearts with so much gratitude and love and excitement for what’s ahead. (Seriously — y’all know who you are. Thank you so, so much!!!)

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All of this gets me to thinking…

We were made for community. We need each other! I think this is what God desires the Church to be — a body made up of various parts and gifts all working beautifully together to accomplish both great miraculous feats and things that just come up as necessities in life. We were created for purpose and for one another; no one has ALL the gifts and talents needed for ALL the things life throws in our direction. Anytime we feel like we have to do this life thing on our own, it’s a set up. It’s healthy to ask for and receive help. It’s good to extend our strengths in service to others. We need to know we’re not alone in the mess — and that kindness and grace can see us in the midst of our chaos and not judge or condemn us. Love and assistance are available — to give and to receive — and hearts are knit just a bit tighter as we work together, side-by-side. Personally, I’m starting to get a glimpse of how pride separates and the way humility brings closeness, healing and deeper relationship. It’s an uncomfortable lesson to learn, yet the benefits are really wonderful to experience as I open myself up to being seen and known, just as I am.

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Today’s Life Lessons

Extend the favor of assistance as you are able, and ask for the help you need, being willing to humbly + joyfully receive the gifts others offer. In the storms of life, find cozy, safe places for your heart. Also, it never hurts to look at the weather forecast before burying your rain jacket and umbrella under all the things in the backseat of your car. Being prepared in life comes with its own benefits; however, the reality is, we’re not always prepared for what we encounter…so don’t be afraid to look like an almost-drowned cat (physically or emotionally) if that’s how you are in the moment. Those who love you will find your “hot mess-ness” endearing and will like you anyway. Do what you can with the time and resources you have; progress can outweigh “perfection”. Finally, drink the blessed coffee when you need it and get yourself a back-up umbrella. There are some things in life you just shouldn’t live without!

From Izzy’s Coffee House in West Asheville, NC with love,

– The woman clearly not wearing a proper rain jacket  xx

Thoughts on Mother’s Day 2017

/ Rebekah Brackett / Leave a comment
Tulips

“Spring Tulips” | Photo by Rebekah Brackett, Brackett Studios

Mother’s Day is a lovely time to pause and reflect with gratitude on the many wonderful virtues of the moms in our lives. I’ve always loved celebrating my mom; she’s my hero and in more ways than one, she laid down her life for me. But this holiday can be full of mixed emotions… Some of us experience daily the loss of our mom due to illness, age, accident or separation. Time never seems to ease the emptiness we feel in the place our precious momma once filled. Some are working through the painful confusion of wondering why mom did the things she did or said the hurtful things she said. A chasm lies between which doesn’t seem capable of being crossed. For others, we hold tender, aching hearts that yet another year has passed without our realizing the dream of becoming a mother ourselves. We rejoice with all of our momma friends, but long to enjoy the (very full!) gift of motherhood. And others are grieving the delay of more children or the almost unbearable loss of children, either before or after birth. With these varied stories in mind, I’d like to share a couple of verses I am clinging to this Mother’s Day, with the hope they will encourage all my sweet friends who are also facing grief in the midst of the day’s celebrations: Jesus says through the Prophet Isaiah, “I’ll convert their weeping into laughter, lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy. God will create a new thing in this land: A transformed woman will embrace the transforming God!” (Jeremiah 31:14a, 22 – The Message)

I understand faith is a very personal choice, and whether or not you share my faith in Jesus, I hope you know my heart is with you in your suffering as well as in your celebration. But it is my soul’s delight to rest in the promises of God to do all He said He would do in the verses above (and more!). I am grateful to see in my own life the power of being transformed from the inside out through a personal relationship with Jesus. He is truly turning my mourning into dancing, my weeping into laughter, and invading my grief with His contagious joy — He’s lavishing comfort in the hard places and helping me through the pain. Jesus is transforming the ashes of my life into beauty, and He is more than willing to do this for you and with you! (I, too, am willing to walk by the side of my friends as I journey through my own “stuff”. Just reach out!)

I’m hoping this message brings encouragement to those in need of it today. And if none of this post applies to you and you’re still reading, I hope you’ll enjoy the beauty of these vibrant flowers! They made my heart smile, and I’m glad to share them with you.

Be well!

Praise to My Savior

/ Rebekah Brackett / Leave a comment
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“Quiet Repose” | Photo by Rebekah Brackett, Brackett Studios

Oh, Great Artist!

You, who buried me in Life’s fertile soil,

Who whispered secrets to my hidden heart —

You wooed me to trust You in the great unknown,

And in my letting go,

You freed me from my seeds’ conflicted constraints.

Now from deep darkness I bloom in radiant light,

My buds wholly yielded to Your compelling grace.

In quiet repose, my tender petals and leaves unfurl;

Death’s pangs are forgotten as my roots anchor deep.

Your glory grows through my multi-layered unfolding —

My life bursts forth to proclaim Your praise!

The Artist’s Soul

/ Rebekah Brackett / 1 Comment
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“Crimson Joy” | Photo by Rebekah Brackett, Brackett Studios

An artist’s soul was hidden in my bones since I was a kid. Somewhere along the line, though, I believed the lie that my work was no good, that I wasn’t really a true artist because my skill didn’t look like or match others around me. For years I frustrated myself with painting and drawing. It never looked like what I saw in my head or felt in my heart. My art fell short of my hopes, dreams and expectations every single time. After a while, I put my artist’s desire in a back closet of my soul. It would pound on the door when light would bring out the beauty of simple objects or when I encountered other artists’ work. The longing to translate the emotion I felt when hearing the whisper of the Infinite could never be shut down or hidden away, no matter how hard I tried. And that is a very good thing. Because after I came to a sudden standstill in my life and the process commenced of being stripped of all I thought I was, in the ashes of me lay the soul of an artist. Joy began to bubble up from my seemingly empty belly as I went on long walks and captured nature around me through a simple lens. I could get lost for hours in the texture of leaves, the mystery of fog, and the romance between darkness and light. Then someone I barely knew gifted me a “fancy” camera, and it was like being given the stars and then forcing myself to learn Greek. Facing my fears of being technologically inadequate has been a journey. I still balk when someone asks me technical questions about my craft, but I’m learning that I am learning! It’s okay and perfectly acceptable to not know everything yet. (And really — I’ll never know everything, and that’s a lovely truth in life!) But I know so much more than I did six years ago, and most of that is due to the fact that the man who is pursuing my heart for life has taught me really well about this craft of photography. I entered his life, and he handed over his camera to me (which costs more than the value of my current car), and let me play. He was patient and open, teaching me not only about the camera itself but about post production technology. Lightroom (a photography editing program) was overwhelming at first, and now it has become my friend. Pretty soon I’ll embark on my Photoshop adventure, and I’m fairly certain my life and art will never be the same!

The point I’m trying to make with all of this is, our art doesn’t have to look or feel like someone else’s work. If you can’t draw to save your life (like me), try another medium. And heck — being entrusted with an artist’s soul isn’t limited to specific genres or mediums. It’s a way of viewing and interacting with the world around you. It’s seeing the beauty — really seeing it — in things other people completely miss. I’d like to think we’re all artists in our own unique way. So capture the glimpses of the Infinite around you. Release the emotions and stories burning in your chest through sculpture or paint or song or words or cooking dinner for your family — whatever medium brings you to life. There’s joy waiting to bubble up from within your belly — I promise! Even when life is dark and the idea of greeting one more day makes you want to lie down and die. Don’t give up; open the door to wherever you hid your longing for beauty and honest living. Your artist’s soul is in you. If I could find it again, you can, too!

A Place Where Love Reigns

/ Rebekah Brackett / Leave a comment
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“A Place Where Love Reigns” | Photo by Rebekah Brackett, Brackett Studios

I long for a place known only by my dreams. A place where love reigns and the wide, open spaces of the soul expand and expand infinitely. The home where my heart is fully known, fully understood and fully accepted. The world in which I completely love my God and my neighbor, and yes — a world where I even truly love myself. So I call Heaven to come to Earth, to this mountain home where I feel so lost sometimes. I tell myself to breathe; to notice how the sun keeps rising and setting, how the world keeps turning without any thought to its schedule or timing; how the grasses and wildflowers move and sway in the evening breeze. I tell my heart to “hush” and embrace stillness and sit with the discomfort of the Unknown until Peace permeates every fiber of my being. Oh, beloveds… In this place, may I remind you: We are not alone.✨