Wow! I am so stinking blessed! Blessed to be apart of a wonderful, loving, crazy family, blessed to be a part of an incredible and unique community in Salem, OR, blessed to live in the most beautiful place in the world (everyone knows that NorthWest is best right?) and blessed to have the coolest job ever! I am thoroughly enjoying this season of life, in all it’s crazy glory. So thank you! Thank you for being a part of my life, whether the only part you currently play is someone who found my blog online and is reading it for the first time or you’re one of my best friends!
This blog is all about the crazy and sometimes subtle blessings that i’ve been receiving lately. But lets start with a little background! I am and always have been little miss independent. I like to do my own thing, think of my own ideas, and rules/deadlines have never been my strong suit. Obviously, i’m learning and growing and will always have room to grow more. But The Lord has seriously been teaching how to do rely on Him for what I need and not on myself.
I started this journey trying to calculate just how much money i’d need to save from every paycheck in order to have money to spend/money to buy materials and necessities before I leave in January. But instead of having me save a bunch of money, Jesus took me on some crazy pre-adventure adventures. I went to Modesto, CA with some of the coolest high schoolers to ever walk the planet on their junior year missions trip, I was in 2 weddings within 2 weeks of each other, I went to 2 youth ministry camps, took lots of bonding trips with friends, and am about to leave for Vegas for 8 days. You add all that together, and that’s a whole lot of time off work, so me saving a bunch of money started to look a little impractical.
After the summer camp season came to a close, I admittedly lost my freaking mind. I had quickly gone from “Jesus will provide” to “HOW IN THE HECK AM I GOING TO DO THIS?!” See the difference is clear, one is complete and utter faith, and the other is self-reliant and silly. But like I stated previously, i’ve got room to grow:) God has been blessing me immensely and not even in the ways I would have expected!
After a long day filled with “wow everything costs so much money! How am I ever going to eat again!?” thoughts, I decided to post a status on facebook about a couple items I kind of wanted for the trip. These items, even used, were way out of my price range and I was having a hard time finding any good sites to buy them on. So I just simply asked if anyone knew of any good websites where I could find a GoPro and a Kindle for cheaper than they typically are. Within 13 minutes someone had offered to let me borrow their GoPro for the year, and someone else offered to give me their brand new kindle. I cried, and then laughed at how silly it had been for me to think that God wouldn’t provide for me.
Yesterday I was given an awesome opportunity to clean a camping trailer for a family member of mine to raise money for the trip, but when I got there they didn’t have a few materials that I needed to get the job done, so I started and did what I could do, and quickly called my best friend in a sleepy, hangry (yes.. i mean hangry. So hungry you’re mad), slightly defeated state and asked her to bring me a couple things. She came with materials then went and bought me lunch and made me sit down and eat. After she left, I cried and then again laughed at how silly it had been for me to think that God wouldn’t provide for me.
When I open at work, I get to see one of my favorite customers. So even though I have to wake up at 3:15 in the morning, I don’t mind all that much. The other morning we got to talking and he started asking some questions about the world race. We talked about traveling, where i’m from and where he’s been. After a while he left and I got back to work, and I didn’t think anything of it! Fast forward to this morning. He came in to get his Tall 1/2 Pike Place, 1/2 Gold coast brewed coffee in his own cup and a newspaper. I was expecting him, but what I wasn’t expecting is the precious, kind gift that he brought me. He had gone out and bought me three world maps. Two that fold and one for my wall (he made sure to specify that the one for my wall was for my parents so they would be able to see on a map where I am when i’m gone.) It was awesome. You could probably guess what happened next.. I cried a little, and then laughed at how silly it had been for me to think that God wouldn’t provide for me.
Those aren’t the only stories I have, they’re just the ones that have happened within the last week. This blog post would be a longer novel than it already is if I typed out all of the blessings!
I truly am so so thankful for all the love and generosity that has been poured out on me by all my friends. Thank you to the wonderful people who are praying for me daily! The beautiful people who are donating funds to make this trip happen and the quality people who make me smile and laugh everyday. I am blessed to have ya’ll, I really am.
Thanks for getting all the way to the bottom of this blog! You are extra rad:)
Love you all!
Ariah Lynn Leemrey Limed
