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 3rd 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 3rd.
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.
This is an adventure that is sure to bring much your way... it will be amazing to see what all happens!
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