This past January 7th marked a whole month of being home for me. Then the next day, January 8th (my 23rd birthday) marked a whole year since I started my World Race journey. I remember bawling my eyes out a year ago – my heart being numb and excited all at the same time in leaving the Dallas airport for Washington D.C. Oh my, what a year!
Since being home, every day has been a healing process. I'm meeting so many new people and catching up with old friends. It is so fun and I love it, but goodness gracious it's exhausting being back in America. This whole past year I didn't worry about what I looked like, what I said (unless something totally weird came out of my mouth), or ya know, people stuff. Now, I feel like I have to be all dolled up for "first impressions" all over again. I know I don't, but it's a little battle I'm working through.
…you mean..I should probably shower and smell nice? And brush my hair? WHAT?….
UGH.
(birthday celebration, I showered and stuff..Love these girls!)
Anyways. My squad mate Chelsea wrote a blog about 11 things she came back with from the World Race (it's amazing, you should read it!). Of course there are a MILLION things we all came back with, but since it's 11 in 11… get it? I have so many things on my heart that I would love to share, so we will start with these 11 things that I learned over the past year:
1. Celebrate life
-One of the books I read this year "Cold Tangerines" by Shauna Niquest talks about celebrating life. I was reading it when I was sick with my joint infection in Guatemala. It definitely helped my situation! Since then, God has opened my eyes to many little things to "celebrate". Some things I've celebrated recently are; new friends, Sunday mornings, MY BIRTHDAY, Chic-Fil-A, my comfy bed, wedding conversations (3 of my besties are getting married!), and so much more. Stop and look around you for a minute and see what's going on. My cup continues to flow over with thanksgiving from the Lord!
2. Be patient and have no expectations, except for God to be in the midst of it all.
-If you rush the Lord's hand in any situation and go into it prematurely, you are setting yourself up for heartbreak. Let God do His thing! His timing is best, not ours. He prepares us all in different ways and different people's processes look different. I think it's okay to be curious and wonder, but don't let it get a hold of you and let it control your thoughts. Then you just get tired and annoyed.
3. Feedback is awesome.
-Any kind of feedback is necessary to grow, in my opinion. One constructive feedback comment that I got all year and even still being home is that I wear my emotions on my face. Geez, I'm not quite sure why I can't knock that one out, but it's good to be mindful of the situation and my "looks". I always want feedback now – "How can I serve you better? How can I improve on this? How can I do a better job on this or that?"
4. Ask questions.
-I LOVE asking those deep soul questions. It's a great way to see what Jesus is doing in people's lives. I sometimes forget that people aren't always open like the people I lived with all year (we got over that real quick), so sometimes I can make people feel awkward. Oh well, I love listening to people. Just be prepared! 😉
(This is Joy. She asks me those deep questions that help me grow and think. Everyone needs a friend like that.)
5. Sing really loud.
-There's something so strong that goes on in Heaven onto earth when you just sing your heart out in worship! I could worship all day, I love giving glory to the One who deserves all of it! Ah, it's my favorite when you get over what people are thinking and doing, and just do YOU. It's so freeing when you let God take over your heart and insecurities. PAH-LEASE, I'm not trying to let satan hinder anything in my life from the Lord!
(One of my favorite worship bands, Bethel Worship. You better believe I was dancin' so much and singin' at the top of my lungs!)
6. Talk to strangers.
-Safety comes first, of course. When you talk to someone, give them a hug, smile, or anything, the atmosphere shifts. I've seen so much fruit from this. I love people so much and want to know everyone's life. It means so much to people when they know that someone in this wild world cares.
7. Even if you don't like it, do your job well.
-There were times this year where I absolutely hated what I was doing. I wanted to go home and curl in a little ball… but I couldn't. My parents also taught me better than that. So, what did I do? I got over myself and did my job well. I will take down this mountainto build this tilapia farm so that children can be fed. I will rake until my arms fall off because it was assigned to me. I will clean these mirriors more than 5 times a day because this crazy lady told me to… and I will do a freakin' good job!
8. Money is nothing to God.
-Raising money all year was so humbling. I never EVER went without. I saw the body of Christ come together like never before to help provide for my needs this year. When I doubted, God was there saying, "Daughter, I will never leave you. I will always take care of you." I have to say that to myself every day. I think money is stupid, but, I need it to live. I am rich in the Lord, I definitely know that!
9. Community is the bomb.com
-I love community. I love sitting around with no electricity or running water and just talking about life. I love being held accountable and keeping others accountable. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely nuts sometimes, but it's worth every minute. Like… you were happy 10 seconds ago, what happened?! Anyways. When God is the foundation, oh man it's a blast. I have had the best support while doing missions, and it's because God has given me the best community…EVER.
(My mom is a part of my awesome support system! I love her!)
10. Be a woman of my word, integrity.
-That is hard. When you say you are going to do something – DO IT. When you have made a commitment, follow through. There are so many times when I change my mind because I'm tired or would rather do something else, but that's when I need to push my selfishness aside and lean more into God's strength and not my own. For example; when you tell all the local village kids you're going to run 3 miles after work…you still have to do it. It's something I'm still working on, but it's very important to me.
11. Cling onto the truth's of the Lord.
-He has made me JOYFUL! I will choose joy instead of lingering in…wacko stuff. He has made me to walk in holiness and righteousness. There were many situations this year that took me a minute to understand and to see God in it. At the end of the day, I know that there is a God full of hope and love. Love conquers all, and I will let Him take over. 🙂
Again, I could go on all day. There is something going on in my heart now that I face daily. Right now, I'm trusting in the Lord for many things. I am excited for this season and to see what He has next. I know it'll be FANTASTIC!
