I've said it before (you can read about it here) and I'll say it again.
God speaks to me in pieces.
I feel like I'll say that for the rest of my life.
I've been home for a break here in Littleton, Colorado for 3 months now after being away for the better part of 4 and a half years. I've done a lot during these years. I can't count the miles I've traveled, the people I've met, the things I've done. All of which I could never have imagined.
A lot of reflection comes when one is in this particular situation. Especially when that particular situation is located in Colorado.
What this reflection has brought me is the realization of all the pieces that played a part in making me who I am today: the pieces of where I've been, who I've met, who has invested in me, what I've done; and these pieces are fitting together to show me that where I have been is vital to where I'm going.
Being home, seeing where this journey with God first began, has shown me even more that each place I go prepares me for the next. Each piece is just as important as the next. The pieces of first going to my church during my quiet, shy, awkward stage, being invested in, being given the opportunity to serve, to lead, to welcome people, to teach, to invest in others, going on my first missions trips. The pieces of moving, leaving my life behind to begin somewhere else, discovering my ridiculous love of organization, working at camps. The pieces of leaving the country to do a DTS in England where I knew no one, going on outreach to new countries. The pieces of being a leader again, of vacationing to a ship docked in Liverpool, of moving to said ship and learning to sail. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
I love the pieces of my life and see God's incredible faithfulness in how He has directed me all these years. Not only does he speak to me in pieces but He also directs in pieces.
These pieces have also brought me to finally discover an answer to an all too often unanswered question:
Being home, seeing where this journey with God first began, has shown me even more that each place I go prepares me for the next. Each piece is just as important as the next. The pieces of first going to my church during my quiet, shy, awkward stage, being invested in, being given the opportunity to serve, to lead, to welcome people, to teach, to invest in others, going on my first missions trips. The pieces of moving, leaving my life behind to begin somewhere else, discovering my ridiculous love of organization, working at camps. The pieces of leaving the country to do a DTS in England where I knew no one, going on outreach to new countries. The pieces of being a leader again, of vacationing to a ship docked in Liverpool, of moving to said ship and learning to sail. This is by no means an exhaustive list.
I love the pieces of my life and see God's incredible faithfulness in how He has directed me all these years. Not only does he speak to me in pieces but He also directs in pieces.
These pieces have also brought me to finally discover an answer to an all too often unanswered question:
What do you want to do with your life?
Before I answer that, I'll start with a word - DREAM. When I first went to the Next Wave, I was posed with a challenge - I want you to dream. (Read more about that here). And just before coming back home, I was reminded to keep dreaming.
When I first began dreaming, I wrote that an idea sparks in my brain which grows, becoming something ATTAINABLE. That "it is something which awakens the desire to transform this seemingly unattainable possibility into a tangible reality." I believe I'm in this place again.
When I first began dreaming, I wrote that an idea sparks in my brain which grows, becoming something ATTAINABLE. That "it is something which awakens the desire to transform this seemingly unattainable possibility into a tangible reality." I believe I'm in this place again.
So what do I want to do? I want to pursue hospitality and my dream, my awakened desire, is to run a Bed and Breakfast. The idea has been slowly developing and one night, while camping in Rocky Mountain National Park, watching heat lightning for an hour, the dream came and has continued to grow with excitement and motivation.
With that awakened desire in mind, I'm heading off again to adventure with the Next Wave, pursuing hospitality, worship and staff development which will prepare me in incredible ways for what I want to do in the future. I know without a doubt that this is where God wants me to go right now. I don't know exactly what it's going to look like but I'm excited for this possibility.
So thank you to every one of you who has been an important piece in my ever growing puzzle of my life. It has not gone unnoticed.
On to the next season.
With that awakened desire in mind, I'm heading off again to adventure with the Next Wave, pursuing hospitality, worship and staff development which will prepare me in incredible ways for what I want to do in the future. I know without a doubt that this is where God wants me to go right now. I don't know exactly what it's going to look like but I'm excited for this possibility.So thank you to every one of you who has been an important piece in my ever growing puzzle of my life. It has not gone unnoticed.
On to the next season.
