I’ve spent the past 4 days living the life and finding little to none to complain about.
Picture the most serene view, kayaks, sun, food, drinks, friends, etc. Then picture me by the pool/beach spending countless hours reading Tina Fey’s “Bossypants.” It’s the perfect beach book! Easy, funny, mindless. Right? Wrong.
I am not sure if it is the fact that I have literally been the most lazy that I have been in a while or if it is because I leave for World Race training camp in TWO DAYS but it has really had me thinking. That is exactly what a lot of time to fake sleep/burn does while you’re at the beach. Think.
Tina (best friend status now that I know her life) has a funny way of making you think about your life and how the past has shaped the present and how right now is going to change your future. Deep I know, but follow me.
I have been asking lot of questions after reading this book. What has happened in my life to make me the way I am today? Who has been in my life that has helped me make decisions or guided me? Do I have an Amy Poehler in my life like Tina Fey? (Did you know they are real life best friends?!) My favorite one: Will I ever be famous enough for someone to write a biography about me OR do I need to be like Tina and just stick with an autobiography? I’ve been joking about this question the whole beach trip but deep down I’m wondering if I should start my autobiography. You never know what I’ll become famous for.
Here’s how I think some of it would go:
Jenna Watson grew up in (now compared to Nashville) small town Smyrna, Tennessee. She has a sassy mother, a hard working father, and a omg so adorable little brother.
When Jenna was little, she was told by her two loving but very serious parents that if she got married before she was 25, she would get cut out of the will. (I REALLY know that they were serious about that.)
When Jenna graduated high school, she expected to go to college, make cool friends, meet the man of her dreams (in high school I pictured him being a baseball player… tan, brunette) She wanted to inherit some of my parents’ money so she agreed in her head to the age of 25 to get married BUT her and her baseball playing, tan bruentte boyfriend/fiancé would still date outside of college in some dreamy beach town. Married at 25. Job. House. New car. Baby. You get the picture. Semi very typical teenage daydream.
***I realized halfway in that autobiographies are written in first person but I’m sticking with it.
None of that went as planned. Absolutely none. I dated one guy in college. Not a brunette baseball player. I did get a job outside of college (YES!) I will have to work five more years and never spend a dime to afford a home in Nashville. No new car anytime soon. ABSOLUTELY NO BABY. But HEY mom and dad! I did pass the 25 age test!
Would Tina be proud? Would that be autobiography worthy to read? Nothing went as planned. I am not getting married in a few months but instead am very extremely single, going to travel 11 countries with 56 people that I do not know yet, put my job on hold for a year and changed the 5 year goal to 6 years goal to buying a home in Nashville.
Here’s the real question that I have had on my mind for the past four nights: Would I change any of what has happened to make MY 18 year old story happen? I’m not going to lie. 25 and super single does sound scary and lonely. I have spent countless hours trying to make my story happen for the past 7 years. Find the guy, get the ring, buy a house, live happily ever after… at the age of 25. But that isn’t the story that God wanted for me… and maybe Tina will like the story God has planned, too.
In TWO days I will meet my 56 squad mates (I’m pretty sure we call them squad mates but I’ll find out in two days and let ya’ll know) I will be trained on being a world traveler whose job for 11 months will be loving and serving others and sharing Christ with them.
My story had NOTHING about the World Race in it till July of 2015. I sat on the deck of the same beach house I am in now and listened to my friend Sarah explain how God took her dreams, talents, passions, etc. and used her on the World Race. A year later, God is still teaching and showing me how He is going to use me this upcoming year.
I am not going to lie. There are many days where I wish I could just have my story happen already *insert 18 year old Jenna’s story here. It does sound ideal. But isn’t that MOST everyone’s story they would have for themselves? (Maybe not the dream man… that is super specific and creepy)
This week I have gotten frustrated again that my story isn’t going the way I had planned. But WOW. How can I be so selfish and wrong to think that God’s story for me isn’t going to be even more awesome and bring even more glory to Him.
I am excited to not only see what this year brings but also trust God and know that he has prepared me for this 11 months way before July 2015. Now I just need to sit back and trust that He has the rest all planned out.
