This is the time

This past weekend, my friend Megan and I decided to make a spontaneous trip to Ashville, NC. At one point in a conversation about Guatemala, I said “This is the time.” I said it without really thinking, but once it was out of my mouth the gears in my mind started turning. Right now, I am a single college student; I am in the phase of my life where nothing is holding me back. These years are perhaps the only time when I can go and do whatever I want with no strings attached.

I believe through that conversation, the Lord is trying to show me that I need to take advantage of the opportunities He has given me right now. He has blessed me with a desire for the Guatemalan people and because I am not married, I can serve there for an extended period of time without having to worry about “a family back home.” He has blessed me with free time and summer breaks so that when a friend wants to go on a road trip I don’t have to worry about “work the next morning” or “getting to bed at a decent time.” This is the time for exploration, the time for spontaneity, the time for road trips, late nights, and spending the summer doing mission work. With all these ideas and plans in my head, I don’t want to look back on this time in my life and regret not doing something. I am only here for a short time; I want to make the most of it. I want to take a trip to Ashville and come upon a fair on the way home just because I can.

This is the time..

Imagination

Imagination. It’s something every child seems to have too much of and every adult too little. Sometimes I wonder why our imaginations seem to shrink as we grow older and I wish I had mine back. However, there is one time when I am totally lost in dream world; when I’m reading a book. Any avid reader knows what I’m talking about for any work of literature, but tonight I want to focus on one particular novel. A few days ago I began reading Kisses from Katie and while I have not quite finished it, my heart has been captured and my mind intrigued. If you’ve not read it (I recommend you do), it tells the story of a young American woman who answers God’s call to move to Uganda with the mission of loving on people. It is a non-fiction book and you might be asking yourself how my imagination could possibly relate to a true story. Well you see, with every word that she writes, I see myself acting it out only not in Uganda but rather in Guatemala. Thus far, I have only been there for one week’s time yet when Katie talks about the beautiful children living in filth I see kids dressed in rags walking along Guatemalan dirt roads. When she watches hundreds of Ugandan kids gather in her front yard I see 40 Guatemalan children running towards me from the school house. When she describes adopting her first daughter and being called “mommy” I see a sweet 5 year old boy that my heart desires to hold. When she talks about the anguish and compassion she feels for each orphaned child, my heart breaks thinking about each kid at Fundaninos Orphanage. But best of all, when she writes about how great God’s love is for each one of them and us, I am in awe at the power of His redemption on every single one of His children.

Guatemala. It has consumed me. I cannot go a day without remembering the precious people I meet there. I cannot contain my imagination as the days to my return inch closer. I cannot read a page of Katie’s book without picturing the country I have come to love so much.

My Favorite Sound

Over the past few days, I’ve discovered my favorite sound: laughter. It may seem silly, but as the old saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine” and it is. It is the one thing that we all have that can instantly lift someone’s spirit. It is the purest sound and it portrays sheer joy. Whether it’s a full belly cackle, a fake smirk turned true, or a small giggle, I just love it. I thank God that He has such a great sense of humor and that He gave us the ability to share in that humor as well. When I’m at work and I hear a baby laugh, I can’t help but smile. When I come home and my roommates are giggling about nothing, I can’t help but join in. Laughing makes me happy; it lets me know that even in this broken world, hope is possible. Thanks to Christ, joy is right in front of me in the form of laughter.