What in the world is a tag line? I’ve been working with a public speaking coach, Amy Carroll* who said the first thing we need to do is figure out what your tag line is.
A tag line is sort of like a brand, you know like “Milk, it does a body good” or “Have it your way,” or “Just do it.”
It’s a concise sentence that is unique, gives the reader an idea of what I would speak about, while leaving a bit of mystery and offering a “take away.”
Last week I shared in my blog post, There is Healing in Your Tears that a dear friend whom I’ve not seen in 16 years came for a visit.
We spent every waking minute we had together reminiscing and catching up.
It was wonderful to see that even though the years have passed and both of us have changed, our friendship remains authentic. It did not take long at all for us to delve into the deep places of our lives pouring out struggles from over the years.
Within the first hour of being together, we began to share the broken places in our lives, the pain and hurt each has endured and carried mostly….alone.
We literally kept looking at one another in disbelief while taking turns listening, sharing and saying, “wow, you went through that too?”
We laughed together, we cried together, and most of all we prayed and lifted each other and our past pain up while sharing our brokenness. We both confessed with amazement and relief, “I thought I was the only one who ever went through that. I thought I was all alone, or that I was losing my mind.”
As we shared we drew strength deep in our inner beings as the bottled up anguish came to the surface.
As the days drew closer to Sue’s departure, we discovered our days of recognition, confession and release were turning into sweet refreshment and new-found strength.
Clarity and hope began replacing the desolate places that felt dark and hopeless.
I sort of felt like Rocky in the movies. Sue and I climbed some steep steps while we purged and dug through the muck and mire and then it happened, we reached the top jumping with shouts of joy and freedom as we shared the grand victory. The victory that came from running this race together!
That’s it! My tag line became clear: “Opening the gate of Hope” came through Sue and I sharing our brokenness. Had we not been willing to surrender the dark places in our hearts with each other, we would still be trudging along, heads down low and hope fleeting.
But God brought us together not just to “visit” or to reminisce but to open up those hidden places and allow Him to shine the light of Hope once again on the path as we journey toward our Hope of Eternity!
It’s not easy to open up and share with others.
But honestly each time I have, I find that I am not alone. Scripture tells me that Jesus suffered it all, He is well acquainted with every suffering, every sin, every hurt that I have or ever will suffer, so I pray for the courage to be real in His presence and trust that He will restore me.
Often times, He chooses to do the restoring by sending someone into my path that I can share with, and once I open up I am convinced more than ever that……
God created us to bear each other’s’ burdens, to speak hope and grace to one another.
Are you struggling with something now? Something that you think no one else would understand? I urge you to open the gate and let the tears and pain flow with Jesus and with a friend….I’m confident you will find you are not alone!
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 | NIV
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 | NIV
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15 NASB
Tina M. Price 
This just what I needed today. Thank you!
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So glad to be a part of your day! Have a great one!
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