It seems fitting for the first post on this blog to explain the reason for its existence. So off we go down memory lane to a not too distant day at the beginning of summer. I had just arrived home from my college graduation (for those of you who have known me for a long time, I totally understand that feeling of disbelief after reading that line) with a menagerie of feelings that were difficult to untangle. Hope for what was to come. Fear of trying to find a legitimate job that I wouldn't absolutely hate. Relief that I had made it through a very turbulent four years...and a compelling desire to do something great. To impact the world. To make a difference.
I had no idea that that Sunday would usher in the opportunity to do just that.
It started out as many Sundays before and since. The alarm went off, followed by a groan as I reached to hit snooze while trying to stay awake long enough to calculate exactly how long I could stay in bed and still make it to church on time (if I rush, I need about 10 to 15 minutes and I'm good to go), followed by the conundrum of whether or not I wanted to factor in time for my morning coffee as I drifted back to sleep, only to be woken a few minutes later with the snooze alarm going off.
Upon arriving at the church things still seemed to be normal, for the most part. It was insanely hot in the sanctuary, as usual, and people were milling around chatting, coming from Sunday School classes throughout the building, and preparing to enter into corporate worship. But one thing was slightly different than. My dad was standing in the back talking to a long-time friend and former Pastor. This modern-day Abraham left the pastorate after he felt God calling him to start a Non-Profit called Precious Life, Inc. (check it out at www.plinc.org -- it's pretty awesome.) It was different because we don't have guest speakers fill the pulpit very often, but because of this man's amazing testimony of what God has been doing in and through him and his ministry, it was a welcome opportunity for my dad to take a break and leave the precious flock he oversees in capable hands.
And that's when it happened. He had been talking about work that he is a part of in Romania when he mentioned that there was a scholarship available for a young adult to go on the next Romania trip in October. That scholarship is totally mine! I thought.
After the service I lost track of how many of my church family and physical family told me that they immediately thought of me when this opportunity was mentioned, and asked if I was going to apply for it. And my answer was "Yes. Absolutely."
But then I started really getting into job hunting. And then I got an -amazing full-time job that I am so blessed to have -- that's when I figured there was no point in applying for the scholarship, because no job that just hired me in June was going to give me 2 weeks off work in October and November.
But I couldn't get that trip off of my mind. I printed out the application and threw it away. And then I would print it out again, leave it on my dresser for a few days, only to throw it away... (I know, I should have recycled instead. Oops.)
One day, finally, I just decided to fill it out, stick it in the mail and leave it up to God. And apparently God decided that I needed to go.
When I found out that it was unofficially basically a sure thing, I knew it was time to approach my bosses. Now, I have never been good at this sort of thing, and so the whole day I was freaking out inside and kept going over my speech about staying late and working Saturdays to make up the time. I finally worked up enough courage at about 4:55. And my boss' response was "Wow. That's amazing. What an awesome opportunity. You absolutely have to go. You can not pass that up."
And then every day until it was offically official, she would ask if I heard anything and tell me how excited she was and how much she hoped I got it. And now, every day she tells me how exciting it is that I'm going, and how great of an opportunity it is and how she can't wait to see pictures and hear all about it.
I am so thankful for the opportunities God is bringing in and through this trip.
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