A Blessing When You Want to Belong
by Kate Bowler
Katebowler.com
Blessed are you playing the stories of who you are through your mind like a filmstrip.
Where you got your laugh or love of music or those terrible navigation skills.
You who can pinpoint yourself on a family tree.
You who know exactly WHOSE you are.
And blessed are you when you don’t belong.
When you can’t explain exactly how you ended up here,
Outside of what was acceptable.
But longing to fit in nonetheless.
Blessed are you in the alienation and the fear,
The “where will I find my people”
The confusion or anger or the still-wounded from unbelonging.
May you feel your own worthiness.
May you feel your own belovedness.
May you find yourself wrapped in a story larger than the one you can trace.
A story of love and hope and courage
A story truer than the one you’ve been told.
Blessed are all of us here, in this family of God.
Kate Bowler, PhD is a New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and a professor at Duke University. She studies the cultural stories we tell ourselves about success, suffering, and whether (or not) we’re capable of change.
Very helpful ❤️
We really appreciate your response Marybeth.
That is so beautiful, and sums up so many aspects of a uprooted woman. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your feedback, Sandra. I’m so glad this was meaningful for you.