I felt every word! You really touched my heart and I see you much more clearly now. To help people is the calling. Acts of service that frees the soul and makes one feel complete. A beautiful writing. Thankyou Barb xx
I so loved this piece Barb! I found it interesting what you shared about how you felt after your mother’s passing. I experienced a similar thing a few years ago when my Mom passed.
Thank you so much. Wow I wonder if this is a common occurrence for others. I know that my mom lives inside of the most vital parts of my heart and soul. So it kind of makes sense to me that she is stirring up the pot.
Even though my Mom and I had a wonderful relationship I noticed after her passing I felt even more connected and closer to her. I was really surprised at how I felt after her passing.
Barb, what stayed with me is that the prayer itself never changed, but your understanding of how it would be answered did. There is something deeply moving about the fact that after years of caring for others in structured roles, the next chapter emerged through vulnerability, storytelling, and connection rather than another credential or title. I was especially struck by how your mother's legacy appears throughout the piece, not simply as a memory you carry, but as a way of being that continues to find expression through your life and work. The women who found your writing seem less like an audience and more like confirmation that the seeds planted through years of service were still growing in ways you could not yet see. Thank you for sharing such an honest testimony to the surprising ways purpose, grief, and grace can converge.
Reverend Taylor, I had to read this twice. The line about seeds growing in ways I couldn't yet see — that's exactly what this feels like. Thank you for seeing this so clearly and for taking the time to say so. This meant more than you know.
Barb, your response captures something many people only recognize in hindsight. We often assume the impact of our work is limited to the roles we held or the people we directly served, while much of what we invest in others continues growing beyond our field of vision. I also appreciate the way your story illustrates that purpose can evolve without abandoning what came before; the compassion, wisdom, and service developed in one season often become the foundation for an entirely different expression in the next. Thank you for sharing your journey so openly and for reminding us that some of life's most meaningful harvests emerge from seeds we planted long before we knew what they would become in gratitude.
Reverend Taylor, thank you. Reading your words this morning felt less like a comment and more like a confirmation.
There have been many moments in this season where I’ve wondered whether the work, love, and service poured into previous chapters still held meaning beyond what I could see. Your reminder that some harvests emerge from seeds planted long before we understand their purpose spoke directly to my heart.
I believe God often uses people to encourage us exactly when we need it most, and your words were that encouragement for me today. Thank you for sharing your wisdom so generously and for reminding me to trust what is still growing beneath the surface.
Barb, your reference to confirmation feels especially meaningful because so much of your story involved continuing forward without immediate evidence that those earlier seasons were still bearing fruit. Many people can identify the seeds they planted, but far fewer receive the gift of seeing how those seeds continued growing in places they could not see. Your willingness to keep serving, writing, and showing up through uncertainty created the conditions for this season long before it became visible. Thank you for sharing your journey with such openness and for reminding us that faith often involves trusting growth that remains hidden for a time.
Very nice, Barb. I, too, began my venture (website, newsletter, Substack), after spinal surgery effectively forced me out of my career. Best thing ever. Sometimes, there's clearly someone/something else that knows what we need more than we do.
I felt every word! You really touched my heart and I see you much more clearly now. To help people is the calling. Acts of service that frees the soul and makes one feel complete. A beautiful writing. Thankyou Barb xx
Thank you so much. ❤️
I so loved this piece Barb! I found it interesting what you shared about how you felt after your mother’s passing. I experienced a similar thing a few years ago when my Mom passed.
Thank you so much. Wow I wonder if this is a common occurrence for others. I know that my mom lives inside of the most vital parts of my heart and soul. So it kind of makes sense to me that she is stirring up the pot.
Even though my Mom and I had a wonderful relationship I noticed after her passing I felt even more connected and closer to her. I was really surprised at how I felt after her passing.
Barb, what stayed with me is that the prayer itself never changed, but your understanding of how it would be answered did. There is something deeply moving about the fact that after years of caring for others in structured roles, the next chapter emerged through vulnerability, storytelling, and connection rather than another credential or title. I was especially struck by how your mother's legacy appears throughout the piece, not simply as a memory you carry, but as a way of being that continues to find expression through your life and work. The women who found your writing seem less like an audience and more like confirmation that the seeds planted through years of service were still growing in ways you could not yet see. Thank you for sharing such an honest testimony to the surprising ways purpose, grief, and grace can converge.
Reverend Taylor, I had to read this twice. The line about seeds growing in ways I couldn't yet see — that's exactly what this feels like. Thank you for seeing this so clearly and for taking the time to say so. This meant more than you know.
Barb, your response captures something many people only recognize in hindsight. We often assume the impact of our work is limited to the roles we held or the people we directly served, while much of what we invest in others continues growing beyond our field of vision. I also appreciate the way your story illustrates that purpose can evolve without abandoning what came before; the compassion, wisdom, and service developed in one season often become the foundation for an entirely different expression in the next. Thank you for sharing your journey so openly and for reminding us that some of life's most meaningful harvests emerge from seeds we planted long before we knew what they would become in gratitude.
Reverend Taylor, thank you. Reading your words this morning felt less like a comment and more like a confirmation.
There have been many moments in this season where I’ve wondered whether the work, love, and service poured into previous chapters still held meaning beyond what I could see. Your reminder that some harvests emerge from seeds planted long before we understand their purpose spoke directly to my heart.
I believe God often uses people to encourage us exactly when we need it most, and your words were that encouragement for me today. Thank you for sharing your wisdom so generously and for reminding me to trust what is still growing beneath the surface.
Barb, your reference to confirmation feels especially meaningful because so much of your story involved continuing forward without immediate evidence that those earlier seasons were still bearing fruit. Many people can identify the seeds they planted, but far fewer receive the gift of seeing how those seeds continued growing in places they could not see. Your willingness to keep serving, writing, and showing up through uncertainty created the conditions for this season long before it became visible. Thank you for sharing your journey with such openness and for reminding us that faith often involves trusting growth that remains hidden for a time.
Oh. This touched my heart. I am glad your prayers are being answered.
Very nice, Barb. I, too, began my venture (website, newsletter, Substack), after spinal surgery effectively forced me out of my career. Best thing ever. Sometimes, there's clearly someone/something else that knows what we need more than we do.