free to
flourish You are meant to live a vibrant and thriving life. by Shelly Esser
A
ȷustbetweenus
winter 2021
friend stopped me in my tracks: “I hope you are flourishing.” Unexpectantly, tears began to spill down my face. You see…I was not flourishing and hadn’t been for some time. Instead, I had been only surviving, just getting by. God used those words that day to get my attention and take me on a journey that has changed the course of my life this past year.
38
Decades of hard stuff had slowly drained the life out of me. I started out like a balloon full of air and promise only to watch the air slowly leak out. I didn’t even recognize what was happening. But I felt deflated emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I had become a shell of myself. Who was I? What was I passionate about? I didn’t know. I lost myself—the girl inside who used to be so passionate and positive and ready to take on the world. Where was she?
