Yes, it has been almost five months since I last wrote a blog.
Why am I deciding to randomly post something now?
Well, a few reasons…
ONE:
(watch it above!)
TWO:
For a little bit of an update on what God is doing in my life!
When I last left you, I had just accepted a job at First Presbyterian Church as the Assistant Youth Director in my awesome college town – Rome, GA!
I love Rome & I absolutely LOVE my job and the incredible people I work with, but transitioning from nomadic missionary to settled youth worker has been stretching. These five months have held everything from tear-filled nights of loneliness to days so perfect I thought my heart would burst from happiness.
In this transition, the farther I move from my time on the field, the more I miss it, and the more I appreciate the gift it truly was.
Thinking back, I regret how in the midst of sleepless travel days, inconsistent showers, and more rice than I care to remember, I didn’t fully appreciate what I was experiencing.
Some days I am tempted to think that this past year is the best I’ll ever have & that God will never use me to that degree again. Wrong. God is teaching me that the gift of the WR is merely a part of a bigger story He is writing for me.
I creatively entitled it, “Cool realization about the WR”…
God, I remember journaling back in high school about wanting to know You on a deeper level. My heart felt barricaded by this “wall” that was keeping me from going past a certain point in my walk with You. I knew there was more, but I didn’t know how to get there. I felt stuck. My Christian life was so comfortable…so familiar, so safe. This wall continued to haunt my heart into college & when I watched the WR promo video & it asked “Do you hear a whisper…do you long for more?”…my heart cried a desperate YES. Looking back, I am overwhelmed by how you knew. You KNEW how to take me deeper, and knew how & when it needed to happen. You knew that the way I was going to grow would come through experience. You used a community passionate for your Kingdom to teach me how to live radically for you. You captivated my heart for the gospel by showing me a world desperate for it. You knew I needed to see the hurting. Hold the forgotten. Pray for the lost…all while living out of a backpack. You asked “too much” of me and walked with me through of a season of utter brokenness. You taught me dependence. You brought healing & freedom. You tore down the wall around my heart and invited me to experience You like I never had before. You KNEW where I needed to be to grow the most. God, take me to those places the rest of my life.
However, I’m THANKFUL for this new season; it’s as much of a blessing as the one before it. God is shaping my life around a relationship built on dependence. I am on my own. I don’t have 24/7 community any more. I’m learning how to live a lifestyle where God truly does meet my every need…even in the midst of convenience & unlimited internet. I’m learning to surrender everything to Him; I thought I’d learned that on the Race but apparently He wants more…He want everything.
He is my everything.
Thank you God for answering my prayers…continue to take me deeper…you know where I need to be!
God knew the World Race was going to be a part of my story.
There is so much more to come!
