This month has been a big jump out of normality for me. I popped my bubble of familiarity and entered into foreign territory (literally).
It’s been a hard month in some ways; leaving home for the first time, saying goodbye to my family, and living life out of a 65 liter back pack – not easy things. But it’s also been an incredibly rewarding month. A month with laughter, and love, some tears, lots of communication, and spiritual formation. I think I might’ve learned more about myself in just 20 days than I have in 18 years. And in this new place I’ve actually been comforted by the unfamiliarity. I thought leaving home meant that my norms would end. But what I considered “ordinary” didn’t end when I left Statesville, it just changed a bit.
– Morning runs to Dunkin’ Donuts shifted to Instant Coffee (with too much honey)
– My big bedroom where only I slept became a small bedroom jam packed with 6 other girls
– My soft baby blanket changed to a thin red airplane blanket
– Dinner for 6 became dinner for 7
– A day trip to the mountains became a day trip to a different country
– Driving to school became walking to ministry
– Speaking with a random stranger changed to hand gestures with a random stranger
– Sunday morning church at Western Avenue (in English) became Sunday morning church at Hope Church (in Romanian)
– Quiet time with Jesus became sorta quiet time with Jesus in a house with 38 other people.
– Life in North Carolina became life in Romania
It’s not the life I’m accustomed to living, but it’s the life I live currently. And I’ve learned that “normality” isn’t something that I need to strive for.
This is my temporary home. But so was Statesville. And so is the next place I’ll live. God is constantly reminding me that HE is home, and anything else is just temporary. I’ve got my hands wide open and the Lord is staying faithful.
