I’m working on the copyedits for Breathing Room this week and next. It’s vulnerable to take that manuscript out of the FedEx envelope and begin looking back over it after you’ve been away from it for awhile.

Breathing Room was borne out of an intense season of my life, one that feels vulnerable to share.

I don’t think anyone relishes feeling overwhelmed or loves painstakingly capturing exactly what it all felt like. And yet, I believe (or, at the very least, want to believe) that this book will become a companion to someone out there who is feeling internally disoriented. Someone who really needs a good laugh and a good cry and to read something that helps them feel seen and known.

It’s scary though, isn’t it, to open up and talk about what’s under the surface. It’s scary to talk about how crazy we’re feeling sometimes, how much we’re longing for some breathing room, how unsure we are about the way forward. It’s scary to just put it all out there and not pretty it up too much. At least, it’s scary for me. All day yesterday I felt like that emoticon with all the teeth showing.

So, if you are up against something scary or vulnerable or uncomfortable today and you need the grit to take that very next small step, I’m with you and I get it.

Let’s shuffle our feet together, trudging if necessary. Let’s figure out what we need to help us get up off the couch and one step closer to telling the truth. Maybe it’s coffee. Maybe it’s therapy. Maybe it’s a ridiculous pen that helps us have a little fun when we’re feeling scared. Pink ink solves so many problems, if you ask me.

I once heard someone say that God is not behind us, pushing us forward in life. He’s out in front of us, inviting us toward him, his arms reaching out for us as we stumble and fumble in his general direction. Like “Come on, you can do it, take another step, this way, I’m here, keep going.” Let’s focus on that today. God before us, lovingly inviting us out into risky territory, asking for our trust, cheering us on as we do our best to live this crazy life.

Let’s focus on one small step. Then another. Then another. I’ve always believed you can make a long journey that way.

Here’s to grit and grace, two of life’s greatest traveling companions.