Quiet winds of change gently roll in and meet the old, sleeping, dying parts of your soul. They begin moving things around, stirring things up, whispering promises into the emptiness within you. They whisper promises of new life. Promises of revival. Promises of hope.

Tonight you said to me you were sorry for unloading so much dirt on me. Do you not know that we all carry dirt? Do you not understand how beautiful it is when you unload it? Do you not realize it is the dirt that makes us human, that connects us, that unites us?

Please do not apologize for the dirt.

Please do not apologize for being human.

Please do not apologize for being you.

You are so much more than you think you are.

You are full of light, full of beauty, full of magic.

You are goodness in physical form.

You are good.

Dirt and all.

You are good.

Perhaps it is your dirt that most makes you good. Perhaps it is your pain, your struggle, your story. Because it is in the pain, in the struggle, in the dirt that greatness is born.

So when the quiet winds of change gently roll in and collide with the old, sleeping, dying parts of your soul, know that they are not there to push those parts of you out. The winds of change move things around and stir things up, but they do not say to the worn parts of yourself, “you are worthless and not needed here.” Instead, these winds of change look at the worn and weary parts of yourself and say, “oh, dear friend. You are beautifully broken and delightfully human. Let us remind you of how good you are.”

And the winds of change do their work.

They whisper promises of new life. They sing to your soul a new melody. They call it back to life as you begin to remember that you were made to be exactly who you are.

And this is your redemption.

This moment when you realize you are exactly who you are meant to be.

And you are good.

Dirt and all.

You are good.