Fight the Blah

👋 Hey, it’s Samantha, the lady behind After Hours’ social media. I fully intended to share some of my self-care activities with a more upbeat, encouraging tone, but I wanna be real with y’all: I’m feeling pretty blah this week, maybe a little depressed. Anyone else feeling that way? Is it a week 4 of quarantine thing? (As if anyone knows!) I don’t want to get stuck in my feelings—I just don’t want to seem like I have it all together cuz I really don’t. But I feel I should use this to speak truth over myself, and anyone else who needs it.

There is hope in Christ, even in this seemingly unprecedented time. Jesus was sent to bring good news to the poor, comfort the brokenhearted and those who mourn, proclaim freedom to the captives, heal the sick, bring beauty from ashes, and he did. (Isaiah 61; Luke 4:18-19.) He is trustworthy and safe. He is the calm in this storm. He is life, freedom, and salvation. Even though I feel anxious a lot, I am hopeful because God remains constant. When everything around me is literal chaos, I trust him to be stable and secure, to be God. Keeping my focus on the Lord and trusting in his fulfilled promises gives me a comfort and peace that can only come from him. And weirdly, I feel blessed to experience a new depth to my faith in God.

So with that, these are some things that are giving me life, making me laugh, and keeping me lighthearted right now:

1. I’ve been spending my Monday afternoons listening to and singing along with my favorite bands, and it feels like I’m hearing them for the first time again.

2. My amaryllis, pictured above, really leaned into spring and surprised me with two beautiful blooms this week.

3. My roommate and I are having a great time with this season of the Masked Singer and Lego Masters.

4. Yoga with Adriene has been bringing me back to earth and helping me fight lethargy. Check our her videos on YouTube.

5. I’ve been watching episodes of Hot Ones on YouTube like a boss and now have a serious craving for chicken wings and would love to test the limits of my spice tolerance.

How are you doing/feeling this week? What are some things that are helping you fight the blah and bringing you joy during this time? Your After Hours fam is here for you ❤️🌺

#untilthelastlockbreaks

A Gathering of Fierce Women

I’ve needed more time to process last week’s outreach because it was unlike any outreach I’ve experienced before. I felt God’s presence on the track so strongly, I know I caught a glimpse of his healing work in South LA. I want to start by giving praise to God because he’s the reason After Hours exists. He keeps our small organization going. He provides what we need so we can show up and love the women we meet through outreach every week. He gives each of us the strength we need to carry this unique burden. But he also asks us to carry it loosely, trusting that he is working, even if we never see how the seeds we plant will bloom. It’s hard, but I’m grateful that God is the one in control and not us.

Last outreach was so beautiful and such a contrast to the week prior. I showed up expecting it wouldn’t be any different from the others recently, but God had other plans. We were just three, but we gave away 27 gift bags—more than double the amount we gave the week before. We experienced so many obstacles to meet with women that week. During our prayer time, I prayed for a friend who’s been on my mind, hoping to run into her; but admittedly, I already felt defeated. I’ve experienced friends disappear before, and I thought this may have happened with her because we hadn’t seen her the week before.

God is faithful still.

We arrived at the block where she normally is, but we didn’t see her from the car. There were other women out, so we parked and walked over to them. As soon as we got to the corner, she popped out! We were all so excited to see each other. We told her we were hoping and praying we’d see her.

Amidst the many cars driving by and pulling up to us, we talked for a long time. One-by-one, her friends joined us until there was a gathering of us women, each with her own unique story of hardship, yet perseverance. At some point, I noticed the cars weren’t coming anymore, and we were able to be a gathering of fierce women standing together, laughing together, praying together, and embracing each other. I wish I could have seen what passersby saw. We were crossing all the divides to be friends, to be community. 

I drove home full of joy and hope, not at all tired even though it was 2:30am. This is what After Hours is about, loving God and loving our neighbors on the track, creating a safe space for these women to be themselves free of judgment and shame. If any of the women we meet during outreach comes across this, never give up hope, keep fighting, because God loves you dearly, and so do we. —Sam

Light & Dark Collide

The start of our Friday night was full of praise. Two worship leaders brought their voices & guitar and led our outreach team in worship. It was a good kick off fixating our hearts & minds on God. I was reminded that the ability to make a change in this ministry can only come from the Lord & never from my power alone.

Outreach is my fav. I love the convos I get to have with the women. It is something I always look forward to, but last Friday felt darker than it ever has. Though even amongst that we got to talk with a woman wanting something else for her and her kid. I pray she will hit us up and, even though she has been through more than I can imagine, that God would fill her with more hope for the future. —Roxy

This week, please pray with us for the woman we met last outreach and for her child. Pray God will bring peace to the track.