Here is what River Family member, Bridget Samuels said, “In all honesty joining Rooted was extremely intimidating to me. The thought of sharing and talking about feelings with people I barley know?! No Thank You…. I always had some excuse as to why the timing was not right, but before this last session of Rooted I felt the Holy Spirit challenge me. If not now, when? I had just come through a long season of suffering; feeling lost, alone, and overwhelmed not knowing what God had in store for me next. What do I do? Which way do I go? God what is my purpose now? So, I stepped out of my comfort zone and I am so glad I did. During Rooted I learned that God uses suffering in our lives to refine us, molding and growing us into who He has called us to be. Which is exactly what I needed as we entered the global season of suffering shortly after the Rooted session started. I did not need to rush into the “next thing”. I learned how to be still, pressing into the Word, prayer, and loving others. To have patience and trust that God is preparing the way, all I need to do is follow Him. Don’t get me wrong, I still get overwhelmed, impatient, and restless being unsure of God’s direction and not understanding His plan. It is hard to follow when you can’t clearly see the direction. But I am now more strongly rooted in the Lord which makes it easier to find my way back to where I need to be if I start to wander. In addition, I made some valuable relationships with other amazing strong women that I now can rely on for support. Bonus! No matter how scary it may seem, I encourage you to listen to your heart and if the Holy Spirit is leading you to join, do it, you won’t regret it!”