Season of Gratitude

By Meghan Hatcher

​This is a season of endings and transitions with all of its attending emotions. There are a number of endings to take care of between now and Commencement Day as I look toward graduation from Wesley Theological Seminary in just 17 days. And while those endings bring sadness (and a fair amount of relief, to be honest), what I am most anticipating are the beginnings and the continuations I’m walking toward. The Clay Jar Project will continue after graduation, after my time in Washington, D.C., comes to an end, and hopefully well into the future. That’s exciting stuff! 

The formation of this storytelling ministry and all the people who have helped me develop it since 2016 has been an experience for which I am very grateful. I am deeply thankful for the learning experiences, mentorship and space to experiment that was afforded to me as a Community Engagement Fellow while studying at Wesley the last three years. My thanks extends to the Life Stories Institute of The Theatre Lab in Washington, D.C., whose training in 2017 helped me format the methodology used in the creation of The Clay Jar Project ministry. I’m thankful for the many conversations, the bulk of which arose out of pure God-happenstance, that led me to the initial idea and name for this ministry, the how of this work, and the partners along the way. 

I would not be in pursuit of this work without the support and wisdom of many storytellers and teachers who have gone before me. For those I studied with in person and for those whose words I only read over these last few years, your revelations are a means of grace in my life and ministry. Perhaps most especially deserving of my infinite gratitude are the women who partnered with me for the pilot group of this ministry in Spring 2018. I continue to be amazed by their utter bravery and willingness to dive deeply into the vulnerability of their own life stories and to proclaim their voices loudly. Their spirits were a source of strength and encouragement for me then and now. 

Now as I move to new places and new expressions of ministry, my prayer is that we always remember that what we have is enough.