When the Ground is Exposed

In the spring of 2020, after a powerful derecho swept through Nashville, I stood on my front porch and saw dozens of city trucks rolling by. The soundtrack of those days was the hum of chainsaws, cutting through fallen trees in a city that just couldn’t seem to catch a break. It was another moment of upheaval—a reminder of how much had been stripped away, exposed, and disrupted.

Taking a walk through my neighborhood, I saw massive trees uprooted and earth laid bare. There was no hiding the damage. In the aftermath, I wondered: What else has been exposed? And what is the light now making visible that we’ve overlooked for too long?

We’ve been through so much since then—storms, a pandemic, societal reckonings, and political chaos that is destroying families and communities. These moments have peeled back the layers on our lives, our communities, our systems. They’ve also laid bare our deep need for one another—for belonging, for care, for spaces where we can show up honestly and be held with compassion.

This fall, RESTORE cohorts will return—small groups rooted in reflection, connection, and well-being*. These spaces are a response to what the light has revealed: that too many of us are walking around exhausted, isolated, or unsure how to tend our own needs while caring for others. RESTORE offers space to catch your breath, to reconnect with your purpose, and to be reminded that you are not alone.

May we be people who take seriously what the light reveals—not only the broken places, but the beauty, the courage, and the hope that glimmers through the cracks. May we watch over one another in love.

*The current RESTORE cohorts are for women in ministry. If you’re interested in working with me to create other cohorts, let me know! I’d love to work together.