The Blog That Rescued Me

Back in 2013, I found myself unsuccessful regarding locating any semblance of authentic community.  We were living in small town Mississippi where I'd taken a job.  Having left behind a handful of brotherly friendships that had subsequently whet my appetite here in Jackson, I was hopeful that God would lead me, despite our now rural circumstances, to relationships that might similarly invoke relational accountability.

Self-destructive behaviors / thought patterns ensued as I found myself feeling more and more isolated.  Eventually, it was my personal blog that served as a catalyst for my employer to start asking hard questions of me.

This personal blog was nonetheless a public journal which detailed my story post after post after post.  Hence, it had been reflecting the deep seated sense of isolation I was experiencing, and from there, served as a white flag for those who eventually took notice.

I began attending meetings of the Samson Society +/-1 year later in 2014.  Mr. Don Waller had initiated a group at First Baptist Church Jackson that had existed for about a year, and these men welcomed me with open arms.  Overnight, I now had a lifeboat, and I felt as if I could stop swimming out in the open water.

I had formally resigned my position which felt as if I had been the problem all along, but in reality it was the isolation that had made my situation unworkable for me.

Of all the fallout from that experience, the most heartbreaking anecdote had to do with our pastor.  Early on whilst settling into our new small town home, I made a point to reach out to him with my story (via my former blog), and then even six months beyond that, I asked specifically for counsel relative to my sense of isolation.  Despite my efforts, he chose not to respond which only served to darken my situation further.

One of my mantras has always been "Communication is a Key to Success".  Would it not have been for my former blog, I don't know how I would have managed to continue to tread water much farther into my family's future there within that lonely scenario.