This is not THE packing list. That’s for another day. As I think about the next year, I find myself reflecting on the past. I know this experience is going to transform my life, but God has already been working in SO MANY ways to prepare me for the year. I’m going to jump on the bandwagon of breaking it all down in numbers, so while there are many more, here are 3 important things that I’ll be carrying me with on the journey:
3. An active lifestyle.
Above: A day at the rock climbing gym!
I grew up a homebody. I would sit and read for hours on end and wanted to be a writer. Never did any sports. None. Zero. Zilch. Just want to be clear. If you told me that I’d be living out of a tent 2 years ago, I probably would have laughed at you. Now who knew that Kalamazoo is such an active city? I reluctantly tried rock climbing over a year and a half ago and have been doing it regularly (wanted to run the opposite direction when I saw the walls but glad I didn’t!). I signed up for a dance class and stumbled my way through that for a good part of the year. And when a friend asked me to run a half marathon with her last fall, I somehow found myself going from disliking it to running four times a week to train. To complement climbing, I took up a beginner yoga class a few months ago and have been practicing every so often since. Oh and I also went camping for the 1st time last year. So what does that mean?
- Though it probably still won’t be easy, I now have a strong enough back to carry a heavy backpack.
- I know how to pitch a tent.
- I can run from a wildebeest in Zambia if I need to (okay, I’m not very fast but you get the point, right?)
Seriously folks, God works in mysterious ways.
2. A passion for service.
Above: Therapeutic riding session at the Michigan Abilities Center in Ann Arbor
The first club I joined in college was RAK (Random Acts of Kindness), and from there, I slowly got involved with Circle K International and the Kiwanis family. Aside from the National Honor Society that required a few hours of service in high school, I had never volunteered before. As I grew more involved with the club, I learned a lot of new things and met people in the community from all walks of life that I wouldn’t have otherwise had I stayed in my own little “college-land” bubble. I developed a passion to help others and an interest to learn from the community I live in. Passion fuels motivation, and I certainly can use this next year to keep myself going when the going gets tough.
1. A broken heart.
My heart has been broken time and time again and in many ways. It’s been broken when I watched children in Africa dig through my trash. It’s been broken as I struggled through unhealthy relationships and the need of approval from others. It’s been broken when I hear about the injustices of the world. It’s been broken when I thought, what if my best friend here on Earth that I love so much took a bullet for me? Or suffered by being nailed down? And that’s how my heart broke thinking about what Jesus did for me–for all of us. It’s a healing heart, but it’s been broken. I carry this heart as I go on my journey, and it’ll be the most important thing I’m bringing with me.
P.S. Still need over $3000 in 3 weeks, and you should consider financially supporting me 🙂
