Needed a little bit of processing time...
I am so excited for next year. I have been taking time to think back over my life from the past two years and I have gone through a lot of change. I moved away from my comfort zone in Cincinnati and had my world completely rocked. All that I thought I knew was completely challenged and refocused. This process that I am going through can only continue to get better as I walk through it. Not that any of this has been easy. I have wanted to throw in the towel and give up plenty of times. I have fought with myself and attempted to refuse change. I claimed that things were better before, which is completely untrue. As I type this, I am reminded of Jeremiah 29. The popular verse from this chapter says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." I actually encourage you to read this chapter in its entirety because it paints a beautiful picture of what it means to seek for hope in the midst of struggle. The Israelites wanted to give up... they could not see a purpose for being in exile or understand what they were walking through. In Hosea 2:14 God says, "Therefore, behold, I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her." (In the NIV is says "desert" instead of wilderness...) God needed to bring the Israelites (and myself) to a place where we could get away from all that was familiar and actually focus on the things He wanted to say. Anyway, I think that would describe my time here in the desert.
So...if you don't already know, I am moving to Long Beach, CA. I am continuing on staff with the Navigators through Staff In Training. Through lots of time in the Word and praying, I have sensed the Lord calling me to something big and outside of my realm of understanding...(that is what makes me excited to keep going and to continue trusting in the Lord.)
Moving is challenging and I am sad to let go of a lot of things. Its sad that I won't be apart of things here at ASU. I had such a hard time at the end of the year luau knowing that this was the last event for me to participate in with the Navs here. Throughout my time at ASU, I was asked if I had found a home in the desert. I can definitely say that I have. I met people here who became like family to me. These people fought for me to know the Lord in a more intimate way. They prayed for me, encouraged me, called me out, and helped me find truth. These people loved me when I was hesitant to love them back. I don't want to leave that. But again, through prayer and time in the Word, I am encouraged. Experience has taught me that the Lord will provide everything I need. So, I will find more people to add to my family out here in the west. I am excited to meet new people and to allow them to speak into my life as I grow, make mistakes and continue to learn truth. This will be another hard journey, but it will be good.
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