A Blessing for Abby Wambach

and other young queers hurt by church

For those who listened to We Can Do Hard Things this week and wanted a copy of the blessing I wrote for Abby, I posted it below.

This blessing is originally from my podcast, The Confessional with Nadia Bolz-Weber when Abby was the guest. (← click there to be taken to the page for the episode - then click the triangle to play).

Us and our ridiculous dogs in 2020

A Blessing For Abby Wambach

Abby, You said that when you got hurt, your body let you down and you felt mortal for the first time.

I get that “mortal” refers to being subject to death. But there’s another definition I really love which is “belonging to this world.”

So for you, Abby, I offer a blessing of that belonging. 

I bless the young queer girl who felt she did not belong in in the pews of a church that told her she was an abomination. Because the real abomination is an imaginary hell created by anxious men, unconvinced of their own belonging.

But you? You belong here. 

I bless the athlete, who did superhuman things on the field, who collected more goals and trophies and titles and wins than anyone else. When you tried to buy your belonging with excellence, that deep loneliness you felt was proof that you really are so much like the rest of us. 

And you? You belong here. 

I bless your divorce, which is no more a curse than marriage is a reward.  

I bless the pain that you tried to medicate away. 

I bless you for holding so tight to what you thought made you lovable. 

I bless that moment in jail when you sobered up enough to realize that no, the breathalyzer wasn’t broken, and you were just a very drunk, very dangerous woman. 

Which means even when it sucks, you still belong here. 

So I offer you a blessing of belonging, Abby. 

May you luxuriate in your ordinary humanity, I’m so glad that you are here with us in it. 

So may you wake up each morning, stretch your mortal body and hear Love whisper, “you belong.”

Amen.

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