Heroes,
When I first moved to Nashville 15 years ago as a recent graduate of Auburn University, I took a job as a maintenance employee on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene University. One of my daily duties was watering the young trees across campus, as Trevecca had just been named one of the few certified arboretums in the state of Tennessee.
An arboretum is essentially a zoo for trees, a place where tree lovers can observe a massive variety ofnative and non-native species. In order to be granted the highest status by the state, a location must host at least 120 distinct species of trees.
During that season of my life, I felt deeply alone and depressed. I had never lived outside the state ofAlabama, and I was completely caught in the throes ofbeing homesick. But as I spent my days learning more about those trees, I became inspired to truly give Nashville a chance.
You see, trees work best when they live in a diverse community. They dig their roots into the earth, stretching out to interconnect with trees that are unlike them, building an underground circle of trust. During a drought, the older trees in this circle will take their deep roots, dig a little deeper, and share their water resources with the struggling younger trees on the surface.
That season taught me a profound lesson: I needed a community. I needed a collective, a protective circle to lift me up in that moment so that I could survive leaving the place where I was grown for the place I was meant to be.
When I look at the community we are building at Refuge, I see that exact same design. I see a Circle ofHope where people bring everything they have and pour it into others, ensuring everyone has the ability to access the mental health care they need but cannot afford. This is why we changed the name of our monthly donors from FaithBuilders to The Circle of Hope. These individuals do more than build faith; they actively participate in a living community that surrounds those in need with hope.
The way scientists know so much about the community of trees is through studying their roots, but the truest story is told through the rings hidden deep inside the wood. Through a tree’s rings, researchers can identify global weather patterns dating back 13,000 years. They can see exactly when a tree dug deep to give a little more during a drought, they can pinpoint when a community was invaded by pests, and they can re-witness the beautiful sacrifice of an older tree passing on its final resources before it perished.
My question for you is this: When the rings of your own life are analyzed years from now, will they tell a story about how you dug deep to support the people in your circle?
Will they show a season where you gave someone the gift of rest and hope through the power of counseling?
Will they witness how you closed a circle of protection around someone when they needed it most?
Please consider joining The Circle of Hope today. For just $50 a month, you can completely fund one clinical session for a person in desperate need every single month. Any monthly amount matters, because it all compounds to provide a thread of hope for someone in need of a circle.
The power of just one session can be felt in the story of Harold. He had been to therapist after therapist but could not find a way to overcome the severe suicidal ideation brought on by his service to our country. After his very first session here at Refuge, he finally found the hope he could not find anywhere else.
Make your support one of the most impactful, life-giving rings in your story.
