I’m finally home after nine months! And now for the big ol’ question:
How was your trip?
Ha! Where to begin? This question is so hard to answer sometimes. How do you cram nine months of your life into one answer?
But to answer how my trip was, well…let me tell you!
My trip was nothing I thought it would be. I thought I was just going to live with a group of people who also believed in God like I did who traveled to three countries to help people who needed help. I’m sure many of you thought I was doing that too but there was so much more!
God turned my world upside down. I didn’t know He was going to show me what it truly looked like to be a follower of Jesus. I didn’t know that I could be loved so much. I didn’t know how much I wanted to know God. I didn’t know He is capable of anything-like ANYTHING. I didn’t know I needed Him in everything. I needed Him when I met new friends, I needed Him when I was homesick, I needed Him when I was angry, I needed Him when I was happy, I needed Him when I prayed over my food to keep me healthy, I needed Him when I was dealing with tough situations and simple situations, I needed Him when I was treasurer, I needed Him when I would walk the streets, I needed Him to be a part of my life every second of the day. I didn’t know how much other people need Him either. I didn’t know that I had the authority to invite people to the best thing in their lives.
My trip wasn’t about me helping people, it was about God building a relationship with me and spreading His love to others.
Now being back home, things have been kind of weird but pretty normal. I don’t have a huge culture shock like some. However, I look at the world differently. God has given me a new perspective of how to look on life. So while I may not have huge drastic changes in my behavior, God worked in me and I know how I view the world. I’ve started to see what matters and what doesn’t. I’ve started to examine things as needs or wants. I’ve learned to use grace for people and for myself. (People cannot help that they take things for granted, they haven’t seen what the other side looks like so grace for them is a must.) I’ve also noticed how many distractions I have at home. At home, things compete for your attention. Obligations try to convince you that they are more important than God right now. Nothing should be more important than God. I love the quote, “God without man is still God. But man without God is nothing.” If we put God aside for our “real lives” or our “important things” it makes our lives nothing. That is a challenge I’ve been facing here back home. However, I am thankful to have the struggle of fighting for my relationship with God because I know it will strengthen my faith and our relationship. And it’s hard living back home especially when I know what it was like living out there. I miss my friends and the community we had and I miss all the crazy adventures around the world. I miss it all. And while this may be a slower season in my life where I may not feel God’s presence as strongly, I know God’s not done with me yet. The World Race will not be the best time of my life because I know He has more crazy adventures and challenges in store for me, for instance, college!
Over the Race I was accepted to Florida State University. Florida state offers a study abroad program which will give student who are out of state (me) in-state tuition if they study abroad their freshman year. So I get to go travel the world again and by doing so it will make my college tuition cheaper than if I had started my freshman year on campus with out-of-state tuition. The place I get to spend my freshman year of college will be Florence Italy for two semesters and Spain for a summer semester. Now tell me that’s not God? I am so excited to create my own ministry in college and serve my Lord in Italy and Spain.
For this next season of my life, prayers would be extremely appreciated. Please pray for the hearts of people in Europe to be softened and for me to rely on the Lord’s strength.
God’s not done with me. And He isn’t done with you either. Go out and share! The time is now. Is this not what we were created for?
