Friends!! Hello again! So it has been exactly a month (didn't plan that) since I last wrote and I will have you know I have been going through a lot personally. God has definitely been working. It is amazing to me how God works in our lives, and I wonder how often we miss everything he is trying to teach us because of our busy schedules. Upon my return I quickly got into job search mode, but we all know that doesn't happen instantly. So, since I have come home I have had much time to myself which usually becomes time with God. This time allowed me to notice a few things, It starts with what I did upon my return.
I had been reading my bible, speaking and praying with my husband over the phone, working out, and wondering what I was to do next. I am the kind of girl who is always on the go and my new routine since coming back from Serbia seemed a bit bland, so I was searching for what was next. The problem is I wasn't listening.
In my last post I was sad to have to come home, and it may sound that I came home because my husband needed me to be home but that is not the case at all. Looking back only a month I am reminded that Gods plan is in full effect and that what God has me do was not for Victor or our relationship. All the great things that have happened in Victors life and our strengthening relationship are just positive side effects that come with the lessons God had/has for me. There had been quite a few great lessons in my devotionals, many of which I underlined. But,by no means did I make any direct connections as to any specific things God was focusing on with me. I would talk to my husband about our faith, about God and how he knows God is there with him and how he one day decided to stop hiding his faith and tell all who where around that he had accepted Christ into his life for good.
(He is in the Army currently in Afghanistan) They had to take a quick course in a classroom setting, and before the class started he stood up and told everyone he wanted them all to know that he had accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior. Most of the guys just laughed at him, even after he said he was being serious. He eventually just said "whatever guys" and sat down. Then guess what?! A few guys came up to him after class and asked him if he was serious, after he responded with a sure yes, the guys told him they respected him for doing that. Then a day later he had another soldier (one he didn't know) come talk to him, this time the other soldier just told him that he was a Christian too but that he has never been able to do what Victor did in that class. The soldier told Victor then he was inspired by him.
This is a lesson in being bold and courageous and how even if we get made fun of, what we do will effect those around us and in the end make it all worth it. This kind of courage I pray to have.
I eventually found a job as a waitress, where I met a cook who was having his last day on my first day of work. While he was having lunch and I was doing some paperwork we got to talking. I really have no idea how the conversation came up, but we were led to a point where were could talk about God.
Turns out he is a man from a ghetto neighborhood of Detroit where he lived a gang lifestyle (after culinary school). He says he got to the point where he was homeless asking his friends to sleep on their couches and stealing to eat. Then one day he had an epiphany and thought, "what am I doing?" "This isn't me" and that day he changed his life. He had a culinary education, so he went back and started working, he simply explains that he knows God is there, and has learned that life is about compassion, and giving from what you have. It is about respecting and caring for all people, and when you do that you find life starts to turn out for the better without you even asking. He said this is from his experience, and his goal now is to work and build in his spiritual relationship. This was another inspiring story that really touched me. I love to hear about people having their eyes opened to God.
At this point all my devotionals, my husband Victors experience, and the head chefs stories were all just good God stories. I still hadn't made a connection. I then watched this video on loneliness, about making connections and about how society manipulates our thoughts and we create our own world and manipulate what people see about us.
The Innovation of Loneliness from Shimi Cohen on Vimeo.
-Connection does not equal Conversation.
-Self-Actualization based on what society claims to make a person a somebody.
-Being connected doesn't make you feel less alone.
-Endless personal promotion :/
I'll leave you with this, think about what you learned from it what you are guilty/victim of… I'll post part 2 tomorrow. Right now it all doesn't really make sense but I promise it all comes together.
