I’ve never actually hated social media. Social media has allowed me to meet people who are now real life friends. So whenever I get frustrated with it, I usually start seeing faces (some of yours reading this right now!), and I remember why it’s worth showing up.
But that doesn’t change that the requirements for showing up have drastically changed in the last five years. The introduction of stories at minimum doubled the amount of “expected” content for creators. Add in LIVE video, IGTV, and Reels — and social media done “well” is currently a full-time job.
But it’s not just the content. The part we actually look forward to is having conversations with you. And we’ve found that social media is not really the best place for conversations anymore. (Sorry, Zuck!) But between too many things vying for your attention and the fact that SWHW women are pretty good about managing the amount of time you spend online anyway, it’s just not.
So how do we still show up to meet women who need this message and share reminders that we all need — while freeing up more time and energy to actually do the work God has called us to do? (I’m sure there’s more than one answer to that question, and I seriously encourage you to spend some time answering it for yourself)
For us, it means going all in on social media one day a week. And then showing up big — both inside the SWHW Network and in the real work God has given our hands to do, the rest of the week.
So we’ll be on showing up on social BIG on Mondays. Somer and I will be going LIVE on IG at 7:30am EST (and will be turned into an IGTV if you need to tune in later.) We’ll be in stories + share 4-5 other posts, scattered throughout the day to encourage, refocus, and remind you of what matters most.
We even changed our bio on Instagram to help you remember we’re there on Mondays, and added a “This Week” highlight so you can go back later in the week to see what we shared if your Monday gets away from you.
It’s the same amount of encouragement we’ve been sharing for years — but now, it will be easier for you to find and remember because you’ll know new content will be shared every Monday. We’re also planning to make a brief stop to say hi on Saturday and share our favorite reminder from the week.
Last thing: hopefully, you already know this, but our DMs are always open. We will still check those daily — so whether you have a question, need prayer, or anything else, you can ALWAYS shoot us a DM, and we’ll get back with you within 24 hours.
I’ll admit it: this feels like a weight lifted. We really do want to be available to the women who need this message and haven’t heard it yet. Honestly, it’s why I’ve dragged my feet on this longer than I should — because I remember the tension I felt when I was fed culture’s twisted versions of God’s truth. I remember how much I needed this conversation. And I know what a difference having this community has made for me personally.
But I will confess that over the last two years, when it comes to reaching the SWHW woman, I’ve blurred the lines between what is God’s job and what’s my job. And like my BFF put it so well in the #SWHWbook: “Well intentioned sin is still sin.”
I am confident God will reach the women who need this message. Maybe He’ll use what He’s doing here through our team. Maybe He’ll use one of you to invite her. Maybe He’ll use another believer who shares our heart for this mission unrelated to SWHW. And I will pray expectantly that He will do all three.
But I can’t continue giving energy to do a mediocre (and might I add miserable!) job at His responsibility, which in the end, also results in me doing a mediocre job at what is actually my responsibility. That’s not fun to share, but maybe there’s someone else that needs that reminder today.
We love you, and we are really excited about what God is doing at SWHW. Stay tuned.
In Him,
Michelle
