This summer has been pretty much completely opposite of my last few. My last two summers I was a missionary with CRU on what they call “summer projects.” That means that the entire focus is God all the time, you are encouraged (and do) to grow a ton, poured into by staff and other members, constantly sharing your faith, and immersed in a tight community of Christians in college just like you. This summer I went back home to our farm house way out in the country to live with my parents again and worked long hours at a factory for the first time. I was never a Christian when I lived at home, so I didn’t have a church family and 95% of my friends live elsewhere nowadays. Oh, and I used to own horses which was pretty much the only reason I liked living in the country, but I had to sell them to pay for college. And we have no internet. All of that adds up to a… challenging summer!
I know that the Lord was specifically calling me to be here this summer, so here’s a short compilation of 5 of the biggest lessons I have learned along the way.
- Image isn’t everything.
This is going to be slightly girly and cliché, but I think it’s worth saying. Without even noticing it, I was a girl who was defining myself by what I chose to wear. It wasn’t so much that I had to look put together all the time, but more that I had a certain persona I wanted to communicate with my clothes. This often included dresses pretty much every day, hair accessories, make-up, and scarves. Working at a hot factory in the middle of summer with power tools and large amounts of glue along with mostly middle-aged men doesn’t really allow for that type of dress code. Striving to be modest and practical, I wore mens basketball shorts and baggy t-shirts every day along with my steel-toed work boots and a bandana to keep my hair from sticking to my face. This challenged me and that surprised me! I realized that I often try to communicate my personality and who I am through the way I dress. While perhaps not always a bad thing, without that I didn’t feel like myself. I shouldn’t need clothes to tell people that I love art or enjoy bunnies; I should talk to them and have real conversations about each others hobbies and likes. Others should want to get to know me because of the love and light of Christ that I (hopefully) show, not because of what I look like.
- Age is just a number.
I think being in college and also extremely involved in a ministry that reaches out to college students has made me forget that there are other people in the world. I know that this is just a stage of life I am in and I should take advantage of the opportunities it presents, but this summer was a good reminder that other age groups do exist. I loved getting to know people my parents’ ages and older! It was so encouraging to hear how much they loved, cared, and worried about their kids and made me appreciate my parents so much more and showed what a sacrifice it is to be a parent. It was also good to get a lot of wisdom that only comes from living life and learning through experience. College kids like to pretend (and be fully convinced) that we know everything because of our vast book knowledge (the internet), but we’re still young and have a lot to learn and a lot of life to live. It really helped me to stop being such a know-it-all and to shut up and listen to what people far wiser than me had to say.
- The Meaning of Rest.
I’ve heard a lot of people tell me to take it easy and take a break every once in a while, but that always confused me. I know I’m busy, but I like that and I do leave some time outside of work with no commitments. This summer I learned it’s not the amount of time that you have, but rather how you use it! With my downtime I often am on my phone texting or on social media scrolling and talking to people. Being an introvert who feels refreshed by getting alone time, this doesn’t even make sense! It just drains me more, encouraging me to “check out” when I’m with real, living people. If I’m not doing those things, I am completely shutting my brain off and watching a movie or playing a mindless game which are both a complete waste of my time and hold no real purpose. While those things are fine in small (really small) doses, they hold no value in the long run- both for this life and eternity. I learned that I need to rest by doing things I love (drawing, sewing, journaling, hiking) and seeking the Lord and rekindling that intimacy with Him. Even if I didn’t initially feel like doing either, I would feel so much better and more joyful after, which helped me and helped those around me.
- Prayer. Lots of prayer.
Pretty sure it wasn’t coincidence that led a woman to take me through an intensive bible study focusing entirely on prayer while I had a job that is completely mindless at a workbench with no one close enough to talk to! Prayer is a hard thing to do and takes a lot of discipline and mind power to be intentional and to seek the Lord daily. Prayer is also a learning process with the most beautiful outcome of coming to know God more closely, hearing from Him clearly, and receiving power to change lives in big ways. This summer I wanted so badly to reach out to my coworkers and have a huge heart for teaching others about God. A factory with very short breaks and a workbench with no one around isn’t exactly a prime location to do this! I learned that I could touch peoples lives just by being in prayer for them and continue to grow in my relationship with God as well. It was pretty crazy how many prayers were answered too and a huge encouragement to me in my faith. Let the learning continue!
- Attitude can change lives (mostly yours).
I may be a bit of a realist sometimes that leans toward the side of pessimism. I can often see the problems and dream up grand ways to fix them all; but when I get my head out of the clouds, I’m stuck with a pretty poor attitude and hopeless view. This summer was not an ideal one as far as friends and environment went, but I learned that most of what was making it seem so awful was my view of it. I had a good job that pays well and provided me with money so I can finish my education and graduate with a 4 year degree. I had people around me who loved me and cared for me and was able to revisit and rejuvenate old friendships while making new ones. I had all the alone time (and more) I needed to perk up the introvert in me and to study the bible as much as I wished. I had a beautiful little home surrounded by nature and filled with adorable kitties and two loving parents who provided me with food, love, and a car that gave freedom to come and go. I had and have a lot to be thankful for! All it takes to ruin all of that is a bad attitude and I would’ve missed all the ways I was blessed this summer and why God had me there in the first place.
I’ve learned a lot more than this and am sure that the lessons will continue as the Lord helps me to process all that has happened. I will have to admit that I am excited to go back to my college life that feels more like home to me nowadays, but I will look back on this transitional time with fondness and a whole lot of thankfulness. I’m so glad I listened to His call, even though I was awfully doubtful about the outcome!
