Never wasted

blog

I spent last weekend in Nashville, and it could not have been better – not even if Ryan Gosling had given me a puppy.  Not if I’d found a bucket of gold.

I’m at a loss as to how it happened, but in the two short years that I lived in Tennessee, I somehow developed the deepest of friendships with the widest network of people.  It’s like that song that kids sing in Sunday School, “Deep and wide, deep and wide, there’s a fountain flowing deep and wide” – except I won’t make you sing along with hand motions.  There is no dancing on this blog.

I was in town for three days, and every interaction, every conversation, felt meaningful.  Knowing how dry my spirit has been these days, my mom’s hope for me on this trip was that I would “only spend time with life-giving people” – which, given the folks I know in Nashville, is the easiest thing ever.

Miranda Runcie, Catherine Clement, Kelley Kirker, Kelli Liszka, Emily Konouchi, Ansley Quiros, Melissa Sproul, Julie Ott, Joy Beth Bodie, Cara Meissner, Hunter Lane, Duane Stephenson, David Nguyen, Zac Kubilus, Amanda Williams, Meg Souder, Joey & Brynn Sanchez, Annie Downs, Hitoshi Yamaguchi, Meredith Gruner, Paul Zimmerman-Clayton: time with you, no matter how short, is never, ever wasted.

share:

10 Comments

  1. Nashville Miranda on June 6, 2012 at 8:33 AM

    The feeling is completely mutual. Once again you proved yourself as the best “bringer-together-of-people” ever. It always amazes me. Love you, friend!

  2. rachel on June 6, 2012 at 8:46 AM

    ‘there is no dancing on this blog’

    good to know. and ahahahahahahaha!!!

  3. Greta on June 6, 2012 at 9:54 AM

    So good. :)

  4. Alissa on June 6, 2012 at 10:21 AM

    I can so relate to those feelings of just NEEDING to be with people who are nourishing to the soul. We had a weekend like this in early May and I’m still trying to ride that high as motivation to find “my people” in our new place. Happy for you to have had that time.

  5. Christy on June 6, 2012 at 2:25 PM

    The “Annie” in your posts and comments is Annie Downs which is the Annie that I was in a leadership group with at church. SMALL. WORLD.

    I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Nashville is the promised land. Come back soon!
    Thank you and the end.

  6. Whitney on June 6, 2012 at 2:32 PM

    Amen, amen, a million amens to the best kind of people. I had a long, dreamy conversation with a friend this weekend about our “villages” and all day long in stops and starts I’ve been shouting from rooftops and wispering in quiet spaces prayers of gratitude for just these kinds of people. So happy you had this.

  7. Janelle from Canada on June 6, 2012 at 7:59 PM

    AMEN!! I felt that same feeling when I was in California last week. God is good.

  8. AnnieBlogs on June 6, 2012 at 9:17 PM

    Love you.

  9. HopefulLeigh on June 8, 2012 at 2:05 PM

    Next time you’re in town, I would love to grab drinks with you and whatever friends we have in common. Then we’ll really be taking our internet friendship to the next level. :)

  10. rachelrianne on June 14, 2012 at 11:00 AM

    …i think every blog needs a little more dancing.
    c’mon, annie.

Leave a Comment