"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom!"
I have been in Australia for eighty-four days. EIGHTY FOUR!
I can't believe that time has slipped by so quickly and that my adventures here are drawing to a close. I have about four weeks left with my study abroad program and then another week and a half of travel around Australia with my parents. It's insane that a place I once was afraid of and uncomfortable in has now become my home. I feel like I belong here; like I was meant to step out of the confines of my average life and fly to a land that was waiting for me.
I wish I didn't have to worry about school work or getting to classes so that I could spend each day exploring Australia and building upon the relationships I have developed since being here. I love the people I have met and each one of them has taught me something new about God, love, family, dreams, responsibility, and life in general. What I had hoped to gain coming here was an expanded vocabulary of God. I wanted to see him in new ways and learn to speak to and about him with a richer language. I also wanted become more responsible, independent, and aware of who I am.
When I reflect on the last three months I can clearly see the actualization of these two goals. God is now the love of my life and I have learned to speak his language of forgiveness, acceptance, faith, trust, positivity, and tranquility. The people I have met and the places I have gone have shown me how incredibly present God is and at the same time how massive he is. He is near me every moment, yet he governs the bigger picture as it unfolds into the universe. As I have developed a true friendship with God, he has kindly been showing me who I am and the areas of my life that need work. He has revealed so many of the passions that have been lying dormant in my heart for years and given me an enthusiasm for the future that is beyond anything I have experienced in the past. At the same time, he has placed people in my life that have taught me about the fire I have and how it can be useful rather than harmful. I see now how much pain I have inflicted with my bold and rather blunt spirit. I pray that in time I will be able to quiet my fire so that it can be a fierce yet gentle force for social justice, reconciliation, and harmony in communities.
Along the way I have been blessed to gain knowledge, relationships, and experiences that I had not been expecting. Australian culture has taught me much about the American culture I have been immersed in all of my life. I have seen the value of enjoying life in the moment and placing value on people rather than personal success or financial stability. The amount of peace and safety here has overwhelmed me and I am not looking forward to returning to a society that is steeped with so much violence and corruption. The serenity of the Outback has confirmed my appreciation for Sabbath rest and solitude. My church has renewed my enthusiasm for creativity and community. The sisters I have gained in connect group have blessed, stretched, and inspired me in ways that words could never adequately describe. The students in my program have been a constant source of encouragement, joy, growth, discovery, and praise. I love them all so dearly and they will forever find a home in my heart.
Australia has given me so much to boast about. I came here expecting to have some fun, and what I got in return was a storehouse of treasures. I would never trade my time here in a million years, nor do I have any regrets about the sacrifices I made in order to come here. God knew what he was doing when he placed this dream in my heart, and he has not come up short in delivering the adventure of a lifetime. I believe everyone should ask God to give them dreams and then have the courage to chase after them. God uses us most when we don't know what we're doing, so why not step into the unknown? I did, and it has been the greatest blessing of my life.
So go,
do.
Run,
explore.
Get out of your box and let God give you dreams that are greater than anything you could have dreamt up on your own. There is treasure out there waiting for you, you just have to be brave enough to go looking for it.
I can't believe that time has slipped by so quickly and that my adventures here are drawing to a close. I have about four weeks left with my study abroad program and then another week and a half of travel around Australia with my parents. It's insane that a place I once was afraid of and uncomfortable in has now become my home. I feel like I belong here; like I was meant to step out of the confines of my average life and fly to a land that was waiting for me.
I wish I didn't have to worry about school work or getting to classes so that I could spend each day exploring Australia and building upon the relationships I have developed since being here. I love the people I have met and each one of them has taught me something new about God, love, family, dreams, responsibility, and life in general. What I had hoped to gain coming here was an expanded vocabulary of God. I wanted to see him in new ways and learn to speak to and about him with a richer language. I also wanted become more responsible, independent, and aware of who I am.
When I reflect on the last three months I can clearly see the actualization of these two goals. God is now the love of my life and I have learned to speak his language of forgiveness, acceptance, faith, trust, positivity, and tranquility. The people I have met and the places I have gone have shown me how incredibly present God is and at the same time how massive he is. He is near me every moment, yet he governs the bigger picture as it unfolds into the universe. As I have developed a true friendship with God, he has kindly been showing me who I am and the areas of my life that need work. He has revealed so many of the passions that have been lying dormant in my heart for years and given me an enthusiasm for the future that is beyond anything I have experienced in the past. At the same time, he has placed people in my life that have taught me about the fire I have and how it can be useful rather than harmful. I see now how much pain I have inflicted with my bold and rather blunt spirit. I pray that in time I will be able to quiet my fire so that it can be a fierce yet gentle force for social justice, reconciliation, and harmony in communities.
Along the way I have been blessed to gain knowledge, relationships, and experiences that I had not been expecting. Australian culture has taught me much about the American culture I have been immersed in all of my life. I have seen the value of enjoying life in the moment and placing value on people rather than personal success or financial stability. The amount of peace and safety here has overwhelmed me and I am not looking forward to returning to a society that is steeped with so much violence and corruption. The serenity of the Outback has confirmed my appreciation for Sabbath rest and solitude. My church has renewed my enthusiasm for creativity and community. The sisters I have gained in connect group have blessed, stretched, and inspired me in ways that words could never adequately describe. The students in my program have been a constant source of encouragement, joy, growth, discovery, and praise. I love them all so dearly and they will forever find a home in my heart.
Australia has given me so much to boast about. I came here expecting to have some fun, and what I got in return was a storehouse of treasures. I would never trade my time here in a million years, nor do I have any regrets about the sacrifices I made in order to come here. God knew what he was doing when he placed this dream in my heart, and he has not come up short in delivering the adventure of a lifetime. I believe everyone should ask God to give them dreams and then have the courage to chase after them. God uses us most when we don't know what we're doing, so why not step into the unknown? I did, and it has been the greatest blessing of my life.
So go,
do.
Run,
explore.
Get out of your box and let God give you dreams that are greater than anything you could have dreamt up on your own. There is treasure out there waiting for you, you just have to be brave enough to go looking for it.
"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better."
-Albert Camus
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