When Christine first told me about her new passion project, I was intrigued. After serving with her in Red Thread International, I’ve grown to trust her instincts and knew that once she set her mind on something, she carried it into fruition. This time was no exception.
“It’s called Luminaries,” she said with a smile. “I want a place where women can be empowered and be a light. Whether it’s through mentorships, guest speakers established in their field, or giving back to the community through volunteer work, I want Luminaries to be an arena where women come and share life together.” Even though Luminaries was still a concept at that time, I could visualize it. It was such a simple idea – maybe meeting once or twice a month – to encourage women to step away from all the busyness and chaos. Today, women have this pressure to be and do it all: be a great daughter, straight A-student, nurturing mother, understanding wife, excellent homemaker, humble leader in the church... all while sustaining a successful career. There's no way we can do that on our own. We absolutely need each other.
As a very driven young adult, I bulldoze through life without much reflection. With a full-time work-life, array of acting and writing classes, church commitments, babysitting side job, and somewhere between all of that, a daughter and friend, I’m too exhausted to come home and regurgitate my thoughts and contemplate my day. As soon as I’m washed up and cuddled up in bed, I fall asleep to an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. My mornings are rushed from sleeping in a little too late and after a quick wash-up, I’m at work for another full day. What I lack is time alone and even more scarce is quality time spent with God.
As embarrassing as it is to say aloud, I forget my life purpose is more than merely “getting by.” Busyness is a distraction and I grew competent in blocking out God’s voice reminding me that my life is purposeless without him. No matter how much progress I make, my successes and failures are meaningless. I lost focus and purpose, but I had no idea how to get back on my feet. Praying, reading the bible, and being still before God all felt distant and awkward. So I kept my rhythm and kept running away, even though I had no end goal in sight. I was lost, confused, frustrated, and overwhelmed. That is, until my first Luminaries meeting came along.
“Gratitude” was the theme of the day. Various quotes on thanksgiving was scattered on the tables among beautiful flowers and picture frames. We were to choose one quote that stands out to us. Once we selected our pick, we were asked to muse over 3 questions: 1) “This quote was meaningful to me because….” 2) How is God working in your life currently? 3) What are you grateful for? I carefully read through each one. But one in particular stabbed me in the heart. It said,
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. " – Epicurus.
Immediately, my current life flashed before me. Living on my own, pursuing my dreams, having a steady job, surrounded by people I love – all were things that years before, I desperately wished and prayed for. I forgot that these very things were proof of answered prayers. Instead of giving thanks, I somehow made it all about me. How PHOEBE made this happen. PHOEBE worked hard. PHOEBE deserves it. While it may be true, I know where credit is due. GOD allowed for it to happen. GOD is in control. GOD deserves all glory and praise. In the simple act of switching my mindset, my burdens were lifted from my shoulders. “If God is with me, who can be against me?” resonated through my heart as I was able to lift up a genuine prayer of gratitude and thanks to the one who deserved it.
Luminaries is still a work-in-progress and the core leaders are working to solidify its mission. But one thing holds true. I’m not the only one who’s busy. Everyone has lives and their own set of madness. People from all ages – married with kids, married with no kids, young professionals, and students – all can find a home in Luminaries. It’ll be a journey where we can take a moment to stop and listen to what God has to say.
We all need a break and it’s time to admit that we can’t do it alone. After all, if a cord of three strands is not quickly broken, imagine what a whole flock of Luminaries can do.
Written by: Phoebe Lim
PHOEBE LIM is an aspiring writer-performer who happens to be an LA-native (which surprisingly has become a rarity). When she's not dreaming about being the next Tina Fey/Amy Poehler/Mindy Kaling, she spends her time writing, baking, and Netflix-ing. As a Christian comedy writer, she strives to find the "funny" in everyday life without succumbing to societal jokes and norms. She hopes to encourage women to band together and keep fighting the good fight while living&loving life to the fullest.