Another attribute that I have learned about God is that He loves irony. The outcome of spending 11 months doing ministry in 11 different countries has certainly ended contrary to the way I expected or anticipated. Of course they tell you at training camp and then again at launch to drop all expectations. So when Carly Brown stood in front of us after worship in Guatemala and once again reminded us to drop our expectations because, “there won’t be a prince charming on his knee with a diamond ring waiting for you at the airport;” I laughed out loud. Who had that kind of expectation? So the thought crossed my mind as long as it took to hear Carly make the joke. Guess what? There was a prince charming waiting for me on a knee with a diamond ring at the airport!
Part of the reason I didn’t consider the race more seriously two years ago was because I just couldn’t afford to give up a year of dating, and finding a husband. Here’s where God’s love of irony comes into play. God asked me to go on this race without the expectation of finding the love of my life and then put him in my life smack dab in the middle of it all.
Since being home I’ve discovered more of God’s love for irony. I spent most of this last year learning how to let go of the need to be in charge. If you ask my team they’ll most likely tell you at one point I finally let it go and had to be asked to take charge of ministry in the last month. Since being home I’ve picked up the duty of arranging my classroom and preparing for the start of school; plus planning a wedding that’s eight months away. It’s been strange to let something go only to then be expected to pick it back up again. The good news is I’m not approaching either task in a way I would have a year ago. There is much more serenity to it all, and loads of joy.
Re-entry has not been bad; or at least not as bad as some have painted the picture of possibility. I find myself feeling refreshed most of the time. There are certainly moments of extreme tiredness, but overall I haven’t even really felt the effects of jet lag. Truly I contribute it all to God. He can see what’s ahead and knows what I need more than my own understanding. That’s the last bit of irony, on my part, here I thought I knew what I wanted for my life when all along God’s plan was far better than anything I could have dreamt.
