The End of Preparation

As it stands, one week from today will be the start of the journey of a lifetime. I will be meeting with my traveling buddy at my home and we will depart by 5:30 in the morning. Needless to say, I am stoked and scared out of my mind. I have finished with the preliminary packing (being physically and mentally ready) and need to move on to the more literal things; packing my clothing and other necessities needed for a 7-month long excursion.

 

Though I will be staying in one place and won’t actually be traveling anywhere else, there is still inkling in my heart that this is not a “stationary” journey. As much as this is a journey from Point A to Point B and eventually back to Point A, there are many other little journeys that will happen. These journeys aren’t so much measured in distance or location, but measured in maturity and education. There must be a reason I have been chosen for this journey, let alone to go with a close friend of mine. The two of us together must have something we need to learn or perhaps something we need to teach to others…

No matter where I go, I always try to remember to be the missionary for God. He has sent me somewhere for a reason and if the reason is unknown to me, I will simply treat the venture as a way to reach out to the people I meet. While I am in Florida, I am hoping to find a little church I can attend, just as a method of keeping my faith charged and perhaps to have a cushion to fall back on should things get tough. When I am away at college, there are chapel services, a prayer chapel available for use anytime, and our own college church that help keep me encompassed in the word of God and keeps Him in the forefront of my mind and heart. I am sure one of the reasons I fall back into bad habits when I return home every summer is because I don’t have those same amenities to buttress my faith. Ultimately, it is up to me as a person to consecrate my heart to the Lord and keep it that way. Once I leave for this journey, I don’t want it to be riddled with those same bad habits. I want to put my best foot forward as a human being and as a Christian. I want to openly make it known that I am a Christian and not hide behind a bible in attempt to prove it. The Bible is my sword, but I must be willing to wield it properly. Simply showing it is not enough to win people to Christ (which, sadly, I think is all people are willing to try before they give up). I have fought my fair share of battles, however most (if not all) of them were against people who already claimed to be Christian, but simply faltered in their faith. With this new journey ahead of me, I am certain that I will be fighting battles against people who are not Christian, and possibly even despise Christianity for whatever reason. Any of my friends and family knows that I am rather stubborn in my decisions and pride myself on being able to make decisions when others can’t. I can only hope that this resilient stubbornness will help me in my semi-missionary-internship journey.

Aside from the things weighing on my heart, I also have some more pleasant things to think about. For instance, I will be able to see Rush for the 3^rd time while I am in Florida! Not only are they probably my all time favorite living band, but I get to see them in Tampa on November 3^rd. I’m hoping my traveling buddy will want to see them with me, but I don’t mind flying solo for the event. In other pleasantness, there are many a restaurant I want to go to and many foods I would love to indulge in. Not only will I be able to quell the seafood craving I have had for the last 4 months, I will be able to try many new foods as well. The best way to experience a new place is through the cuisine!

All in all, I am excited to start actually packing for this venture and realizing the potential of what God has in store for me. I will be starting a new, spontaneous chapter in my life and I know that only God’s will and grace will see me through all the trials that are to come my way. Aside from the fear of the unknown, I also count it as a brand new blessing. Not many people get this opportunity and even fewer get it by surprise. This is a blessed trip and I will not let it go to waste on my life or the lives of those around me.

Packing up and Moving Home Pt.2

I am packed, moved and settled back into the place I call home. On the south side of Chicago, in a small house is where I lay my head at night. It’s not the safest place but my family and I survive by the grace of God.

Speaking of God’s grace, I was thinking a few days ago about how much my spiritual life has grown by being at Olivet and how much I relapse into bad habits once I return home. How can it be that God can give me such a lovely place to shelter my fears and allow my spirit to grow and then send me back to a place where it is all but forgotten? Call it a test of strength or resilience; I can’t say I know exactly why my life is like this faith-based roller coaster. I go away and I feel stronger in my faith than when I am in my own home. Perhaps this is why I have such a big heart for Missions, even though there are places I can go to and people I can save right here in Chicago.

Just from speaking with my friends and hearing stories from my professors, I know that going to strange, unknown places is both exciting and terrifying. I recall telling a friend of mine that I wanted to go to Las Vegas for a vacation, or even for a missions trip and he swore up and down that he would never go to Vegas. To him, it’s such a “sinful” place and it’s a city built on “tempting” people to do the wrong things in life; gambling, strip shows, and excessive drinking are just the mainstream things he could think of. I can agree with him on what he said, however I am pretty sure that if Jesus were alive and walking in our physical world today, He would go to a city like that. I am also sure that God would send us, His soldiers, to places like that. I have nothing against Las Vegas, nor do I want people to ever think that it is a horrible, wretched place to go to. It does offer more than any “regular” city in the market of “do what you want, when you want, however you want and no one can say anything about it”. After all, “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”. That being said, I would still love to go there for a vacation. There are many shows I want to see, places I want to eat at and I want to do the whole “tourist” thing.

When I was talking to my friend about his whole “not going there ever in my life” skit, I couldn’t help but ask him, “What if God sent you there?” Comically, he just continued, “Nope, I’m not going!” I don’t think he really took me seriously and quite frankly, I don’t think he wanted to take me seriously because that would imply the option that he would in fact, go to a place he despised. While thinking about that when I was at school, I was reminded about the story of Jonah in the Bible and was thinking about it just a few days ago again. He was told to go somewhere and ran away instead. As a result, in a nutshell, his life fell to shambles and ultimately, he went where God told him to go. I was thinking to myself, “Would I be another Jonah? Would I be the one who ran away from God? How many others are running away from God? How many others are running away from God, but won’t admit it? I don’t think my friend would be one to actually “run away”, but he is very stubborn in what he believes is proper for a “good Christian”. To me, a “good Christian” has God in their heart and uses their heart as a cell phone with unlimited minutes, perfect reception and excellent call quality to talk to God anytime, anywhere, about anything. That is all. He knows the matters of my heart and guides me according to His will. I will go where He tells me.

On the subject matter of travel, I will be leaving my home in Chicago and embarking on the journey of a lifetime. By the grace of God, by the will of God and with His protection I will be traveling to Florida to start my 7 month internship at Disney World. The more I think about it, the more excited I become. There is also a level of fear that brews inside of me as I wonder what exactly will become of this experience. Everyone I talk to about the internship tell me the same thing, “It’s going to be an excellent experience for you!” Aside from the job and class aspect of the experience, I know this will be a learning experience of a different type. I will have to basically learn how to live on my own in an apartment setting and learn my surroundings from scratch. I won’t have anyone with “first time living alone” experience to guide me by the hand or offer me advice. Any advice I do receive will be from family in Chicago, so that won’t be too helpful while I’m in Florida! I will have to figure out where the good grocery stores are, find good stores in general, and learn how to do these things with a whole new transit system, all from scratch. It would be rather naïve to think that I wouldn’t have to learn these things, since I am going to be there for the better half of a year. It seems daunting and I admit that I am a bit fearful of the thought. Once again, I take solace in that where ever God takes me, He will guide me through my everyday adventures as well.

I know the basic dangers of traveling anywhere and I know that there are unexpected dangers that lurk around every corner. However, with a strong faith I cultivated and a resolute mind to obey the Lord, I know that where ever He sends me, He goes with me. Even with the everyday mundane things that occur, I must remember that He will never forget about me.