Video: #OolaFamily (Oola 3/7)

This can be a tough area for a lot of people…

And it can be a GREAT one.

And it can be both. Even at the same time.

❌ Long post warning ❌

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This is an area where I’ve felt like a failure and had to do some deep soul-searching.

(Maybe you can relate.)

A few years ago, overnight, my ex-wife stopped talking to me, froze me out, and began openly ignoring me in front of our kids… even while we lived in the same house.

It was gut-wrenching.

In fact, I told someone that the best way to describe how it felt was simply this… If you’ve ever gutted a fish, when this happens… you are that fish.

As you can imagine…

👉 This was hard of me.

👉 This created a no-win situation for the kids, who still deal with this today…

👉 This rattled my faith…

👉 This created a heap of shame + embarrassment + all kinds of other clutter…

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The upside is that the Lord redeems + restores all things— even if it doesn’t look like, on the back end, what we thought it might look like…

… and, I’ve seen that grace always takes us to a greater place….

(The downside is that the road to get there is often long, hard, and lonely….)

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Why do I tell you this?

Because, sometimes, I think it’s easy to see where people ARE in the moment, grab hold of that snapshot, and think that’s the entire story.

It never is.

For every high moment, there are a string of lows that often lead you there…

… and for every low moment, there is a mountaintop that is coming.

I’ve talked the trench in this area….

A lot of people have.

👉 When we get married, we never think that “the for worse” part of the vows will come into play… and that it might not work out.

👉 When we have cute little babies and post their pics everywhere, we never think that— one day— they might not want to speak with us…

👉 When we grow up hanging out with siblings, vacationing and laughing and playing at the pool, etc., we never think that there may be a time when we stop communicating….

But those things happen…

So, let’s navigate this one together, and pray + work to make this “family” area just a little bit better this week than it was last week, OK?

Incremental change…

Small steps…

Even if they seem insignificant in the moment MULTIPLY and add up over time to make MONUMENTAL shifts…

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Here’s my working definition of family…

🚌 People related by blood or covenant. Ideally, these are our closest human relationships, the place where the most grace + empowerment is displayed. 🚌

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Want to learn more?

Want to claim your #oolaLife?

Register for the free 21 day challenge (emailed to your inbox once a day for 3 weeks) at— www.Jenkins.tv/21 

The challenge takes about 5-10 minutes a day, you can start any day you’d like, and the results…

… are stellar.

🤷‍♂️ Why settle for ordinary when you’re designed for extraordinary?

👉 www.Jenkins.tv/21