The Power Of Harmony

Apr 21

WRITTEN BY: ANGELA DOELL

If I’m honest, I would prefer to do most things alone. People are great, but solitude is my jam. Every teacher I had in grade school wrote in my report card that it would be nice if Angela would share more in class. I feel most productive when my office door is shut. I will always set my alarm hours before I have to leave the house in order to make space for uninterrupted quiet. I’d prefer to get things done on my own than to ask for help. I’d definitely be a full-blown hermit with hairy legs hiding under a stack of books if I didn’t have people drawing me out of myself on a regular basis. And that’s why I’m an introvert who desperately needs people. I’ve embraced this reality and chased it because the power of unity has been a game-changer for me.

God was so smart when he thought up the idea of Church. A body, parts all dependent on each other. A family, slightly dysfunctional and messy but totally beautiful. Church has been life and pain and growth for me.

I need to be part of a collective. It’s in the gathering that I’m seen and known.

I need to see you at ease in your own skin, owning your voice and showing up. I need to know you so that I know how to be me, vulnerable and open and sharing and bold.

I need to see you trip and fumble here and there, so I know it’s safe for me to give it a go.

I need to serve, to know that I have something to give and contribute and sow. I need to see how my small life is powerful when it’s connected to yours and ours. I need to be emptied so that there is room for the Spirit to fill me.

I need to grow, to welcome the kind of discomfort that allows my faith and strength to be tested. I can’t grow on my own.

I need my daughter to see the commitment that I have to you and from you so that she’ll have the courage to follow and to connect. I need others to call out the beauty and gift in her in a way that a totally biased parent like me cannot.

At the heart of Gather Women is a drive to connect. I’m in because I know the power of harmony. My one note isn’t that attractive or interesting but it’s valuable when harmonizing with others. The song of Canadian women, eyes on Jesus, is rising... And I’d love to be part of the song (even if my voice is a little wobbly). I’m hoping I’ll hear yours too.

Angela is a wife, mom, and pastor. She is passionate about helping the lost find home and the stuck find freedom. www.relatechurch.ca

Cathie Ostapchuk

CATHIE OSTAPCHUK (Oakville, ON)

Co-Founder and Lead Catalyst of Gather Women

Cathie’s work and as a leadership development trainer, consultant and coach has led her to work in global non-profit organizations such as World Vision and Compassion, as well as corporate boardrooms, and has taken her across Canada and as far as Africa and Australia doing the work she loves. Her mission statement is to help clarify purpose and vision for individuals, teams, and organizations. Cathie is co-founder of Gather Women which exists as a catalyst to connect, equip, and mobilize women of faith in Canada for leadership influence. She can be found at cathieostapchuk.com

https://www.cathieostapchuk.com