What's the best piece of advice you have ever received?

Back in 2011, we went to the first ever JMT live event (now neatly renamed the IMC) and all the founding partners were invited to John and Margaret Maxwell's home for a cocktail reception. It was a pretty special evening, and kudos to Margaret to graciously accept 800+ people traipsing through her home over 2 nights. As a wife and homemaker, I thought she was crazy though - that's a lot of people to cater to and be nice to - and in your home as well!!!

I was able to talk with her for a short while, and felt pretty embarrassed to take up her time as she pulled off her heels and we waited for the bus to arrive and pick the last of us up. I put my British reserve aside, and asked one question... "Margaret, when your husband is travelling and doing this kind of work day in and day out, how do you not get left behind?" It was something that was weighing on me, it was the second time I'd been to an event with Roddy, and let's just say the first time I had not been impressed... but at the JMT event I could see how passionate Roddy was about it and what a great community it was.

Margaret said, and I wish I could remember her exact words but the gist of it was, YOU HAVE TO GROW TOGETHER! Because one will get left behind, one will eclipse the other, and you'll have less and less in common.

I really took that on. At that time, I had 3 babies, and had only just quit my job in the city to be a stay at home mom. I would say Roddy and I had never been happier, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to jump into 'his world'.

But there was something magical, spiritual I know now, about our time at the JMT conference... so I started to help out, and do more... a little at first, and then more and more. Now, I know as many (maybe even more! lol) faces at the IMC events as Roddy and it's as much a part of my life as it is his.

I can't even imagine... if I hadn't put my awkwardness aside that night to ask Margaret a question... where we would be now....Just the sheer scale of the team, I think I would have been lost amongst it had I not been a part of it with him. In 2011, I adamantly was not a Christian and if I believed God existed, I hated him. Now through a number of people's spiritual mentorship, especially those that gently provided a 'bridge' to that path, everything has changed. I feel God's hand in my life more fully now than I ever have.

I have changed. Roddy has changed. Our marriage has changed. Our family has changed. Our whole life has changed. It was the best piece of advice I have ever received, and I don't think Margaret even knows it, let alone remembers it or me. But it doesn't matter.. you just can't predict who you can touch and how deeply you can touch in sharing small, simple truths from your own experience.