Well guys, I made the giant trek up the west coast to my Oregon home. What’s funny is that when people hear that, they ask “Wait, why? Didn’t you graduate?”
Let us all laugh together. Hahahahahaha.
Ha
HAHAHAHA
No. I wish.
I have one more semester. One more loooooong Fall semester of college and then I’m done. Done with school forever. I hope (Please, God, No grad school?). One semester where I have 7 credits, living at home with my parents, and writing my senior thesis. I feel like I’m ready. No, I know that I’m ready. I feel well rested, rejuvenated, and ready for my last semester of college.
Wow.
Anyways, I just back from my time enjoying a summer in Southern California. What’s funny about my conversations about the World Race as I was leaving to come up here was definite confusion about WHEN I am leaving for the World Race.
“Good luck on your race! Safe travels!” People would say.
And I would respond: “Ummm… well thanks! I don’t leave for another 6 months, and I’ll probably see you again before I leave but THANK YOU!”
My time in Southern California was wonderful, though. I worked a few odd jobs to help pay for gas and food and such (which was basically my entire gas bill for the road trip from Orange County to Portland).
I did lots of fundraising including a big fundraising event at my hometown church which included music, food, a DOPE silent auction, and time where I got to share my heart.
I watched my best friend, Emily, get married to the love of her life. One of my most favorite days I’ve ever gotten to live. I cried more than the bride, groom, and father of the bride combined. Don’t believe me? Ask the other bridesmaids who had to ask me multiple times “Are you okay?” with a worried look on their face.
I went to the BEACH!! I hadn’t swam in the Pacific Ocean in YEARS- I almost cried. I can admit that. Not ashamed. Also, a plus to going to the beach and living in Southern California for an extended amount of time is that my white, pasty, “haven’t-seen-the-sun-in-nine-months” legs got TAN. GASP.
I hung out with my best friends. Thank you to my wonderful wonder women who sat with me on their couch at midnight as I spilled out my heart, or laughed with me at a movie, or listened to my fears and excitement about the World Race on a hike, and helped me create amazing memories for summer 2017.
I spent a LOT of time with my dog. But any day is better with a dog. Can’t complain.
I hung out with my grandma- a wonderful human being who let me crash at her place all summer, with my dog, and made some to-die-for dinners and delicious cookies, when she reeeeaaaally didn’t have to… but she did. And it was wonderful. I love her.
I hung out with God.
Okay, so, you know in those movies when one of the protagonist characters gets upset or makes a huge drastic change/decision towards the end of the movie and the other protagonist (or antagonist that he/she has fallen in love with) doesn’t know where he/she went, but yet somehow they have a moment where they pause and look in the distance and say “I know where they are.” ? You know those moments? Where they go find them in the place they talked about ONE TIME in the movie, you know, their special place where you weren’t paying attention and so now you are confused watching the movie?
No? Really? Okay then just bare with me here.
If I were the protagonist who was distraught and no one knew where I was, YOU could be the one to have a moment and pause and look into the distance and say “I know where she is.” Because you could find me HERE: Newport Beach lifeguard tower on 32nd street, eating an acai bowl while watching the sunset. That’s my spot. And most importantly, that is my spot where I meet Jesus.
I got really scared about this upcoming semester and the year 2018 where I will be traveling the world for Him. We needed to get on the same page. And we did. It felt like we weren’t on the same page for a while as I struggled through a tough season. I needed reminding that He didn’t leave me during that tough season. I needed a reminder that my identity doesn’t lie in my talents, my looks, my family, or anything else but just the fact that I am a child of His. I needed to be honest about my frustrations and doubts and fears and all the negativity that the enemy seems to throw at my head in the form of a brick.
Well, in the words of Taylor Swift, “I could (and will) build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me.” [New Romantics]
And as I sit here in my favorite chair in my Oregon home, reflecting on my summer, I feel somehow ready to face this next semester and year of traveling the world, simply by having some time with Jesus in California.
My plan for the summer was full time job living in Oregon and saving money… instead- I quit my job, I took care of myself in my hometown in California, broke, brokEN, and in need of Jesus.
Jesus came in the form of best friends, beach visits, sunshine, grandma cookies, memories, laughter, dog hangouts, weddings, counseling, encouragement in fundraising and much more. Going to California at first, I was distraught about quitting my job and moving in with grandma, but it seems it was just what I needed to get back on the same page with God.
If I had stayed in Oregon, I would have worked myself to the bone 6 days a week, living alone, festering in my anger and frustration, and not really having a community that would push me towards Jesus. It seems, that God needed to take me out of that fog, away from a place that seemed as if the enemy was winning, take away my job and my stability, force me to depend and lean on others, and leave me with NOTHING but Himself. He brought me to a place where I could breathe. He brought me here:
My father knows me. He knows how much I love it here, how much I thrive and become more of myself. I don’t think I could hear Him in the foggy, rainy city of Portland and He so desperately wanted to talk with me and tell me He loved me.
So, thank you California, for being a vessel that the Lord uses to talk with His children, to reach His lost daughter who was in need of some Fatherly love. Thank you, for bringing me back to my Heavenly Father just by giving me your beautiful sunsets that He hand painted every night. Thank you for refilling my empty cup and arming me for battle as I head back into another foggy, rainy season in Oregon.
THANK YOU. For a wonderful summer.
Jamilyn Joy
And just for kicks, some of my favorite photos of this summer:
