Cultivating Conversations

Hey guys! I hope everyone has been doing well! <3

Things have been good over here for us, just very busy, and thankfully so! It’s been a nice change of pace for me to have to actually check my calendar and have things to do.

I’ve been intensely Bible studying in the book of Acts, making incredible vanilla lattes, taking pictures, babysitting, spending time with my family & our horse Crat, and occasionally playing some Minecraft with my best friend once my son goes to bed. It’s been a lot of fun.

But somehow, I’m really not feeling inspired to write anything too philosophical. 

I could sit here and really try to force something like that, but it doesn’t feel quite right, and I try to stay far away from anything disingenuous on this blog– so I’d like to keep it that way. 

So with that in mind, I thought it might be fun to answer a few questions from my “Cultivating Conversations” card deck from Wilde House Paper. 

https://go.shopmy.us/p-83556186 (the link to the deck for anyone interested!)

This deck is set up to be used in groups to spark deeper conversations with friends and family, but one of my favorite things to do is to use them as journal prompts to inspire internal reflection. 

For today, we’re gonna do a little bit of both in the sense that I’ll answer them, but also invite you to answer them for yourself as well. If you feel led, I’d love to hear your answers to them all in the contact box below, or even just by emailing me at editor@thegrassylaine.com !

Let’s get started. :)

What would your past self be most surprised to know about your life now?

It sounds crazy to think about, but probably that I got married and have a child now. When I was younger, I used to swear up and down that I’d never have children; it was just never what I envisioned for myself. I used to dream about being a sort of travelling ranch hand– working on different ranches every summer, travelling with just my horses and me, and having a new adventure every day.

When I met my husband, I was doing part of that: working with horses, riding, and feeling like every day brought new craziness. I never wanted it to end. But looking back on it all now, it never did. It just looks a little different now. No matter where you are in life, every day is a new adventure, and that doesn’t stop once you have children. I honestly feel like having children makes life even more of an adventure. But all in all, I think my past self would be quite surprised that it all ended up the way it did, but also finding comfort that it did turn out in such a way. God works in mysterious ways, and I wouldn’t change a thing. 

What is the best decision you have ever made on a whim?

Probably buying Aristocrat. There are a few other decisions like that that truly changed the trajectory of my life, but this one feels closest to my heart.

I had horses growing up, but my parents ended up having to sell them before I was really old enough to take an interest in riding them. But a few months after I turned 16, I had a dream that I bought a horse for just $67. It was obviously quite the pipe dream to find a horse that cheap, but it planted the seed in my brain that it might just be possible to find one that I could actually afford, and find some sort of way to make my lifelong dream of having one of my own come true.

I talked to my mom that morning, and begged her to let me get one if I could find a way to make it all work. I had a little part-time job, and was making my own money, so she told me that there was no reason for her to stop me if I could handle it all on my own accord.

Looking back now, the way everything came together felt so anointed; only God could have allowed that situation to cascade in my favor the way that it did. My best friend helped me secure a place to keep the horse at her grandparents’ house, and promised to help me figure it all out and get started since she already had two of her own. Another wonderful friend set it up so that I could come look at some of the horses at her house that could potentially be for sale. It was there that I found Aristocrat, and I know that finding him changed my life— and even who I was becoming.

For a mere $200, I bought an unassuming little grey gelding, but I got so much more than that. He truly changed my life, taught me responsibility, led me to my greatest passion, and was a huge part of making me into the person that I am today. Before finding him, I planned on going to college to either go to law school or to be a teacher, but after him, I knew that taking care of horses made me light up in a way nothing else did. To this day, I am so grateful that God gave me that gift, and led me exactly where He wanted me to be at the perfect time.

What do you do that feels bigger than yourself?

I’d have to say this blog, honestly. This endeavor isn’t “big” by any means just yet, but I’m trying to remain confident that God can change everything at any moment. I feel that this is bigger than me in the sense that I truly don’t want to be doing this for myself. This week is obviously a bit different, but all in all, my mission is to share testimony that leads others back to God’s truth, love, and the eternal salvation that we can all find in Jesus. 

I’ve always felt that stories were so important– there’s so much to be learned about others through the stories that we tell. You never know what stories may just change a listener’s life forever. Most people see this concept best in terms of true literature, like books or even movies; but I feel like the real-life, truly lived stories of genuine people carry so much more weight. They just need to have the opportunity to be told. Which is what I strive to do here at TGL. So if one of the stories that I tell or testimonies of others that I share impact even one person’s life and lead them to Christ, then this is surely far bigger than I could have ever imagined, and well worth all of the time spent. 

What is a memory you wish you could bottle up forever?

I wish that I could bottle up my son’s entire life so far and preserve it so that I never forget it. But, there’s another memory that stands out to me in a different, but still highly substantial way. 

It was the height of Covid-19 in 2020– I had just graduated after not even really finishing my senior year of high school. People weren’t really taking senior trips because of the pandemic, but I had always planned to take my senior trip to California. By the grace of God, it just so happened to line up that my big brother, who I looked up to more than almost anyone, was stationed in San Diego at the time. So we planned for me to fly out there on my own, and visit with him for a week. I was so excited that I could hardly contain myself in the days leading up to my trip. It was my first time flying on a plane at all, not to mention flying alone. I remember journaling on the plane and just feeling like I was getting my first ever taste of freedom; of being an adult. It sounds cliche, but that’s a big step for an eighteen year old that had never travelled on her own like that before. 

Obviously that entire trip was so wonderful, and I wish that I could remember every single moment of it– but if I had to choose just one of the memories to bottle up and keep forever, it would be that night when he picked me up from the airport. 

My second connecting flight was the red-eye into San Diego airport. When I got off the plane, the airport was so still, but my heart was beating out of my chest. “So Good” by B.o.B was playing in my headphones as I raced for the door, knowing my brother was outside waiting for me. I hadn’t seen him in what felt like— and truly had been— years at this point. He was active duty in the Navy, so it had been so long. 

He was blasting his playlist in his baby blue Jeep with the top down and waving me over when I finally saw him. We put my bags in the back and he gave me the biggest hug. I was so ecstatic to finally be there. 

All we did that night was drive back to his apartment a few miles away, but it was truly one of the best nights of my life. We screamed and sang and listened to his music, and brushing our hands through the wind outside the windows. 

It was just some roads in San Diego, but to me, it was much more than that. It was unforgettable, and a night that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

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I hope you enjoyed this fun little pivot from our regularly scheduled programming! As a reader, I always love getting to know the person behind the pages a little better– so I'm banking on y’all feeling the same way. 

I hope this gave you a cozy little glimpse into my world this week—and maybe inspired you to sit with a few memories, ask yourself some questions, and reflect on the life that brought you here, too.

Until next week,

— E. Byers, author of The Grassy Laine