Traveling Through

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I've been blessed to be able to do an extensive amount of traveling in my short life. In the past 6 years I've traveled to: Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy (3 times), Belize, Egypt, Russia, Singapore and the Philippines. In addition I've traveled extensively in the United States as well. I've seen the Grand Canyon, deserts, Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes, Civil War battle grounds, Disney World, beautiful beaches and New York City among others (honestly, I can't remember all the places I've been in the United States unless someone asked me about specific experiences).

On Wednesday I leave for my next foreign adventure, and my longest one too! For 6 weeks I'll be traveling through Ireland, Northern Ireland and England. Ireland and London are two of the places I've always wanted to visit, so I could not be more excited!

Some pictures from some of my travels:

Germany. This is the castle Disney modeled theirs after

Venice, Italy 

Crooked Tree, Belize

Giza Pyramids, Egypt 

Egypt

Jolly Bee, The Philippines

Medical clinic work, The Philippines 

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina USA

Sea World, Orlando, FL USA

Since I'll be leaving in 4 days, I'm doing what I always do before a big trip: looking over the packing list, getting my stuff together, making sure I don't need any new shots, and looking at the weather to plan my outfits.
However, something seems different about this trip. Again, I can't help but think that I'm not the same person I was in a lot of these pictures (except maybe the one of me and Shamu, that was taken 2 months ago). The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I'm not the same person. I've grown so much spiritually, in self confidence and in independence. Even though I wouldn't admit it, it was always hard for me to travel abroad because I knew I wouldn't see my family for several weeks. When I went to The Philippines and I found out I could not communicate with my family due to the lack of internet and phone access, I was crushed. Now, I'm honestly more excited to meet up with my friends in Europe then I was to come home. Not once have I thought about how much I'll be able to call home or email. Sure, I'll miss my family. But I've realized I can be successful independently and I can function on my own.
As I said, God has used the trials in the last year of my life to grow me tremendously. I'm still not where I'd like to be, but I'm growing and I'm feeling every growing pain. And, as I've been thinking and preparing for my upcoming trip, I can't help but think about how traveling relates to my Christian walk.

As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians: "...We are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for Him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like His own, using the same power with which He will bring everything under control" (3:20-21).

I've found that I identify myself as an American most when I travel. In order to go anywhere you always have to have your passport on you. When going through customs they always ask you where you are from and your purpose for travel and scan your passport to make sure that you're telling them the truth. Likewise, when I'm visiting another country, I usually begin to realize how awesome home is, especially if the country is much different than mine. In Europe I became thankful I did not have to pay to use public bathrooms back home. In Egypt I became thankful that I can wear shorts without every single man on the street undressing me with his eyes. In The Philippines I became thankful for not only clean drinking water, but water that I can make warm or cold with the turn of a knob.
Likewise, our walks with Christ should constantly remind us that we are citizens of heaven and Earth is simply a travel destination. We're just passing through on an awesome and amazing trip (after all, life really is awesome and amazing!) until we get home. It's like we're at standby at an airport. Except, we don't have to wait in the airport, we get to explore our entire location! At any moment the airline can call us and tell us our plane is ready and we can leave. Likewise, at any moment Jesus can call us home.
Furthermore we need to live like we are citizens of Heaven and not of Earth. As Paul said to Peter:

^"Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.  Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world" (1 Peter 2:11-12)

When I go to another country I cannot simply become a citizen of that country by visiting. I do not speak the language, I do not dress the same way and most of the time I don't even look like the natives. I am a foreigner. We as Christians should look at our time here on Earth the same way, just as Paul said! We should not look, act or dress the same as Earthly residents. We need to dress in a clean modest fashion, speak in a pleasing way and serve and love others so much that everyone who sees us knows what we are doing is foreign. We are citizens of Heaven, people, and we must act like it!

When traveling a passport proves your citizenship. Our lives should be our passport and show our citizenship. As Paul said to the Corinthians: 

"The only letter of recommendation we need is you yourselves. Your lives are a letter written in our hearts; everyone can read it and recognize our good work among you....This 'letter' is written not with pen and ink, but with the Spirit of the living God. It is carved not on tablets of stone, but on human hearts" (2 Cor. 3:2-3)

As Paul said, our lives are our recommendation. For my traveling analogy, I say this is like our passports. 

Finally, packing is one of the most important parts of the trip. If I went to Egypt and packed the same clothes I took with me to Germany, I'd be extremely uncomfortable. So, what are you packing for your trip to Heaven? It's a one way final destination flight. Heaven airlines has really weird luggage requirements and actually requires you ship everything ahead of time. Their customs are funky, too. In fact, Jesus told us exactly what we can take:

"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroy them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:19-20). 

Although we are saved by grace and not by deeds we can store up our works for Christ in Heaven. Our good works that we do for Him do gain meaning after we are saved. We do not do good works to earn salvation or more love (because we can't) but we do good works to please Him and so that we have crowns to give Him. 

I can't wait to get to Heaven. Have you ever arrived home from a long trip and then got together with people several weeks later to tell stories? It is great! Things that seemed miserable in the moment usually make the best and funniest stories. How much more awesome will it be in Heaven? When all of us sit around eating the best food (hopefully best fried chicken, biscuits and sweet tea ever) and sharing stories from our travels? I CAN'T WAIT!

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This Road That I'm On

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I successfully finished my first year at college! WOOHOO! Today was a big day of reflection for me. It was my first day home alone since I've been back, and it would have also been my 2nd official anniversary with my now ex-boyfriend. I haven't changed my bedroom since August when I left, so my room is literally a time machine. My wall is still covered with pictures of my high school friends, the bookshelf is still messy and there is no trace of the last 9 months of my life. However, as I stand in this room, I realize that I am different. I may have the same name and look the same way that I did when I left, but emotionally and spiritually, I am not the same person. 

 As I look back I'm completely stunned at how much I went through this past year. Major financial issues, changing majors twice, a prolonged sickness, a difficult break-up and the loss of best friends all while being away from home for the first prolonged time in my life. Even though some of my scars are still healing, as I look back I can't help but see God's goodness and mercies. As time has gone on some things have happened that have shown me that I NEEDED to go through that rough spot in my life. I had become so comfortable with being just okay with God that I needed something drastic to happen, to completely strip me down of all my comforts, so I would again be completely dependent upon Him. He did it and it worked. I can honestly say that my faith has never been stronger and I don't feel like I've ever been this close to God. It's a wonderful feeling. And, if I had to go through all of that hurt to get to this place I'm okay with that. 

Last week I read through Philippians, and have never felt a book in the Bible speak to me so much. Having just come out of the most trying period in my life, I honestly felt like Paul was speaking directly to me. Chapter 4 really hit home for me, almost all of it, but especially this verse:

"I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little" Philippians 4:11

As soon as I thought that, I remembered 1 Peter 1:7 "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world". 

My first thought to that was, "Yup, God, You've tested me. I've proven faithful, now please don't test me again for awhile." As soon as I thought that I felt guilty. If anything, It think that shows my LACK of faith and dependence upon Him. He's provided in crazy ways as He's chipped off things that have been hindering my walk with Him. 

But I'm tired, I am worn. I feel like God has taken everything from me that I've held dear. And, being in my room surrounded by the pictures of me smiling the biggest smiles I've ever had because I had everything that I wanted doesn't help. However, this makes me realize how selfish I am. Even though I was happy then, having everything I wanted, I should even be more happy now because I'm the place where God wants me to be. Sure, I may not have the relationships, the money or the status I had in these pictures, but what those pictures don't show is my heart. Although I was happy and claiming to be close to God, I wasn't as close as I could have been. I kept pushing Him aside to make time for other things. Now, I feel closer to God than ever. I trust Him more than ever. And, in sight of eternity, that is what is important. My friends will fail me, they have. My money will fail me, it has. Boys will fail me, they have. But God, God will never fail me. Even the pain that He allows me to go through is BECAUSE HE LOVES ME! And He knows that in the long run, I need to chip some things out of my life that could be bad for me in the long run. Since He's all knowing, He knows what those things are. This thought process reminded me of: 

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). 

When I chose to become a Christian, I chose to give up my dreams, desires and wants for what Christ wants for my life and the ministry that He has called me to to serve Him. I need to work on getting rid of my selfish desires, my Earthly desires, in pursuit of what He wants for me. Because what He wants for me is way better than anything I could ever think of. He knows the future and how everything will work together. I don't. 

So, God has done some crazy things this past week that have stirred up all of my big worry issues:

1. I lost my job. A job that I love that was my main source of income I lost for what I believe to be unfair reasons. Thought: There goes my car next year and here comes the financial stress. 
2. I had some unexpected bills come up that I had to tap into the rest of my savings (that was going to be the spending money on my Ireland trip) to pay for the bills. Thought: Hellos financial stress, goodbye awesome vacation. 
3. One of my good friends wants nothing to do with me. Thought: Hello self-worth issues

However, as soon as these thoughts came into my head, I tried to remind myself how awesome God has been to me and how He has provided for me. I'm thankful that He will continue to test me a try me until I am completely reliant upon Him and no longer have those thoughts. He'll provide, He always does. 

And, God has shown that, this past week has been CRAZY!!! I'm home and realized home is a lot more awesome then I remembered. Things are in the works that God may be providing me with a car. There a job opportunities. And, God has allowed an awesome boy into my life. A boy that is showing me I can get butterflies again, and that there are guys that love the Lord more than themselves and desire to serve Him in awesome ways. Yup, God is in the process of doing crazy, awesome things in my life. 

Thank you for sharing in this thunderstorm in my life through this blog this semester. I currently plan not to blog again until next semester, however, I know God will be doing amazing things this summer in my life. I cannot wait to see what they are!

Thank you for dancing with me, and I hope my stories of how God is working in my life have helped you splash in the puddles of your storms a little more ;-)