I’ve previously shared about my Four Corners group of friends. We shared a season of life together years ago, now rarely see each other because we live in four time zones. But we make it work through messages and video calls. There’s always plenty going on in our lives to spur reaching out to each other for and with prayers and updates. This month has been no different.

As we were encouraging each other through the highs and lows of life, I mentioned prayers coming from four corners, plus God everywhere, so definitely being covered. And that made me think of a physical covering. Four corners and a cover remind me of a quilt or blanket covering, protecting, and comforting. That’s what we do when we connect with people. We come together with our differences—where we live, what we prefer, how we prioritize. We have a common why.

The why is living faith out loud with each other. We want to authentically connect. We want to be ourselves, including our goofiness, weaknesses, suggestions, doubts, goals, and wins. We can safely ask questions, express differences, and rely on each other for unwavering support.

When I imagine each of us as a corner of something larger, I recognize each corner as pivotal. We are part of other connections as well. We fit with a multitude of groups, one corner and connection at a time. Our similar commitments to faith, prayers, and friendships become the threads that gently pull our different patterns and textures together—with each other and more.

Connect to people. Know your who. They’ll help you define and commit to your why. They’ll even keep you in line when your why wavers.

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