The Versatile Girl
I began The Versatile Girl as a fashion blog in December 2013. To scroll through the many different posts I have written is like opening up a time capsule. I have recently made a return to this sacred online space as I emotionally process a major change in my plans and attempt to figure out what is next. At some point, early in The Versatile Girl's existence I made the transition to writing about life rather than fashion. While in seminary, I became self-conscious about my musings of the past and the present. The writing slowed and some things disappeared because I was afraid of the potential judgement of my fellow seminarians. It saddens me to admit that there are still times I freeze in fear when I share my blog with someone new.A few years ago, I almost scrapped the whole of The Versatile Girl to create something new and mature but I realized I am The Versatile Girl and this space holds fragments of my story and it has documented pivotal moments in my faith journey. While it does not hold everything, it holds enough of me, my heart, and my story that I cannot bear the thought of deleting any of it.I have begun to share this space with more people and those similar fears and insecurities I felt in seminary began to creep back in. I am, fortunately, a different woman than I was then and have since learned the value of stories, the whole of them not just the shiny and perfected bits.If you choose to follow along and even feel the need to explore old posts, what you will find is truth telling. You will find series that I dreamed up and never remotely completed. Sections that have only a few posts, because I simply got too busy to keep it up, or had high hopes but just didn't write it. I haven't deleted those unfinished series because they tell of what I am passionate about and of where I was at in that period of time.You will find my truth and my experiences with things that society tells us we ought not to talk about, things like anxiety, depression, grief, and doubt. You will find posts about joy, love, and the ways God has met me time and time again, extending grace and love wherever I am. God's hands are all over my story and it is encased in these blurbs that I have been writing and sharing here for about seven years.If you find things here that make you uncomfortable, its safe to assume I felt pretty uncomfortable writing it. It is hard to write about then willingly share your messy bits, your utterly human self. Through it all one of the most amazing things is that when I show up and speak my truth, well in this case write it, I am met with love, with grace, and a lot of people who write to me and say "hey, me too" or "I am really glad I am not alone."I first began my training to become a chaplain as a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) intern in a hospital in Atlanta. As I sat through orientation hands shaking, knots in my belly (just an FYI I went home every day of orientation and cried) I wrote in a pink journal with the words "Good Vibes" embossed across the front, what I have since learned to be the essence of chaplaincy:
Show up.
Listen.
Speak your truth.
Release the outcome.
One of my educators at the site said these are essentially what you do as a chaplain and I thankfully managed to write it down, this bit of wisdom has saved me time and time again.After spending a year continuing my training as a chaplain, I have learned that these straightforward but never quite simple points are what help me to be a good chaplain and a good writer. What I have done and continue to try and do here is show up, show up to this messy and lovely life; listen, listen to people, God, to the world around my, my own heart; speak or write my truth, the good, bad, ugly, beautiful, real, messy, lovely, joyful, human truths ; and then I release the outcomes, knowing I cannot control anyone else's reactions but knowing I faithfully shared my truth.Besides, I am quite convinced that much, if not all, of life's journey is about becoming fully human or recognizing that we are fully human. When I look at scripture, I see story after story after story of humans messing things up, humans whose hearts are broken, humans who are far from perfect and a God of grace and love continuously, showing up, listening, reaching out, binding up, meeting those broken humans exactly where they are at, and loving with a love that cannot be fathomed. That is what I see in my story and hope you have experienced it in your own story.I share a lot because I want people to know that it is okay to be the fully human and messy, wild, and lovely person you are and goodness gracious you are loved for it. Welcome to The Versatile Girl, she is a little messy, wholly human, and saved time and time again by grace.Why don't you come stay a while and if you find yourself saying, "hey, me too" please feel free to reach out. The fun part about recognizing and telling the truth about our humanness is that we connect to one another and we were created to be in relationship with one another.Grace, Peace, and all my Love,The Versatile Girl--otherwise known as Margaret