When God Met Me on the Sidewalk

Kristen LaValley grew up deeply immersed in Christian spaces, loving God sincerely. And, like so many of us, she also learned ways of viewing herself that were shaped by fear, pressure, and self-erasure. Her writing doesn’t just theorize about healing; she lets us walk inside it and experience it with her. The excerpt you’re about to read comes from her book Growing Up Saved. It’s a story of movement: of running, breathing, remembering … and of discovering that God meets us not when we disappear, but when we finally show up as we are. It’s a joy to welcome Kristen to the farm’s table today… Guest post by Kristen LaValley My feet are slapping the pavement, one after the other. I can feel the rhythm of my sneakers on the sidewalk, sending vibrations through my calves and straight to my racing heart. I try to time my pace to the beat of the music in my ears. Griff is singing. “I miss staring at the ceiling ’cause it felt so tall /I miss sleeping to the sound of the kids next door, I do /I miss me, I miss me too.” Tears are streaming down my face. This is holy. Sacred […]