a place that welcomed our mess

I've been a fan of To Write Love On Her Arms since I first heard about it, but haven't done a great job at following everything they're up to; mainly because it's not a community I'm actively involved in.  Sure, I buy a shirt here and there, but it's not like it's a tangible organization I can be a part of here in Cincinnati.  Every now and then I take the time to read their blog and catch up on old posts.  Tonight is one of those times.  And without fail, every time I read something that hits home; that inspires me.  I wanted to share an quote from the first update I read regarding their final weeks on Warped Tour:

We are surrounded by people. We have this chance to have a community, big or small, to “go there” with. The thing is, we have to take the risk of being honest and being known. We have to find that place inside us where we’re ready to challenge ourselves and grow. We have to be willing to know that sometimes someone won’t show up.  Caring about and loving others takes risk and probably more than we have in us most of the time. But I think the more we put out there, we’ll have something returned greater than we could have imagined.

I know that God is the driving force behind this organization, whether Jamie will admit it or not.  (One of his favorite authors, and friend, is Donald Miller...Blue Like Jazz..). I think that's a tactful decision so that it's open to everyone and does not scare off individuals who do not believe in God or hate religion.  But, if I may be so bold, that's exactly what they need.  It's what all of us need: not religion, but God.  The whole premise of TWLOHA is to give people hope; to show them that they are not alone; that their story matters; that we should surround ourselves with community that listens, offers advice, and comforts.  Well, that is God: truth and love.  And the truth is; we are NOT alone.  We only choose to believe and feel that way.  Speaking of choosing, the next update I read had to do with just that:

“The true mark of any writer is in the choices he makes. Having written three words, he must choose a fourth. Having written four, he must choose a fifth. Nothing happens into a good poem; everything must be chosen into it.”

We are the writers, the authors, and the poets of our own story. We have the choice to choose. We can be a people who wish for better things, who hope that our story will be written only by the stars, or we can wake up, dream awake and live out what we deserve to be. We have to choose to live. We have to choose to ask for help when we reach the end of ourselves. You deserve to write that fifth word, even the sixth. Once you write the first six, maybe the following words, the words that define your life and who you will become, may not be so hard to write. You deserve to be given the chance to choose. You deserve the chance to share. When you choose to share, you may just find something magical start to happen in your heart.  

Well that is all I'm going to copy and paste.  You should read some of it for yourself.  There truly are some amazing stories coming out of the work of TWLOHA.