Life. It has a way of teaching you things you never expected. At least that's been the case for me these past six months. I have been stretched in ways I never thought possible. Maybe someday I'll be able to put it into words so I can share with you. For now, I'm still working through a lot of it. God is doing a great work on my heart and in my life. It's an exciting time to be alive!!
But there are some things that I can share with you. For one, I am absolutely loving the song Oceans by Hillsong UNITED. Melissa shared this song with me a couple of days ago and it has been on replay since then. "Spirit, take me where my trust is without borders. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." Amen. I've said it before, but I'm so grateful for her friendship. We are going through very similar situations: living abroad, alone, in a season of unknowns. This song perfectly describes our hope for this time.
I mentioned yesterday that I am doing a study on Deuteronomy with my small group leader (Side note: she will always be my leader...even if we aren't technically in a real small group anymore...she can't get rid of me). I never realized the importance and the relevance of this book! What I once thought was just a book of laws, is actually a book about the freedom God has given us. I really recommend Beth Moore's study Law of Love if you want to learn more. It's just full of goodness. The main point of the study is "He brought us out to bring us in." God has taken us from our bondage to bring us into our Promised Land. This quote was from the session I did yesterday:
"Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart. Audacious longings, burning songs, daring thoughts, an impulse overwhelming the heart, usurping the mind - these are all a drive towards serving Him who rings our hearts like a bell." Abraham Joshua Herschel
On a rather different note, I've discovered how much I am used to being alone. I noticed this when my mom came to visit. I absolutely loved having her here. But that was the most human contact I've had consistently since Rachel left me in June. It was strange! I know my time in America is going to be full of social activities so I hope I can adjust quickly!
Which brings me to my announcement: I am officially coming back to Europe after Christmas! This has been a possibility since June but I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do. Well, I've made up my mind. It was just too good of an offer to pass up. So I will be coming back at the end of January to the same family. I will continue to teach this little girl English in the hopes that she can pass an English exam in April. It's a lot of pressure, but I'm just praying she will pass with flying colors!
