I met a girl and she reminded me of you.
Of the you that was sad, and lonely.
Of the you that was desperate to change the world.
She reminded me of who you were 10 months ago, boarding the plane to South Africa.
Wild eyed and determined to make a difference.
Searching for a place you could belong.
She reminded me of the dreams you once held.
Dreams of being famous and making an impact in people’s lives.
She reminded me of the things you’ve witnessed.
An unbelievable number of homeless children and prostitutes on the streets of Madagascar.
Statues erected in honor of false God’s all over Asia.
She told me about her life, a life shrouded in sadness and desperation.
A life seeking for something more.
It made me think about you and the life you’ve built seeking for more.
The people you’ve met (remember your chubby downstairs neighbour in Botswana? ), the places you’ve been (you’ve sat on the edge of the largest waterfall in the world, woah! ) and the moments that changed your life (the smiles, the hundreds of smiles you’ve received this year).
The girl wanted to know more about you, but you found it hard to speak.
How do you sum up a year of adventures?
Cramming 7 people into taxis.
Jamming out to music.
Talks about the Lord.
Witnessing healing.
Praying for nonbelievers.
Praying for people who have nothing.
Hiking through the jungle and rice fields.
Meeting your best friends.
Discovering vulnerability.
Visions and hearing from the Lord.
Beaches, so many beaches.
Zebras, lions, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and so many more random animals.
The food! Oh my, the food!
Making mistakes, but finding God in them.
Forgiving yourself for the past.
And that hardly covers half of what you’ve experienced this year.
Stories? You’ve got plenty of those.
Memories? Those will last you a life time.
Friendships? Forever.
A relationship with God? Stronger than you ever thought possible.
I met a girl and she reminded me of you.
She reminded me of the girl you used to be, 10 months ago.
In a month and a half, you’ll be home and everything will be different.
You took this year to seek adventure and find God, please make a habit of doing that when you go back home.
I pray you don’t lose the girl you’ve become, a strong, fearless, child of God.
