Well, it's been more than a week since my last update. This "weekly" thing is going well. I have been wanting to write for over a week but each time I start, I end up deleting any progress I make. I just haven't known what to say. In addition to that, I've also been writing quite a few essays so I haven't felt particularly inclined to sit down and write for my own amusement. Sometimes, I have so many things on my heart that I don't even know where to start writing. I tend to get so overwhelmed with an onslaught of thoughts and then they all just come out in jumbled sentences and gibberish. That may be the case for today's post, but hopefully there will be some clarity to be found in what I write. In four days, I will have been here for a month. I feel like I've been here for years. I also feel like my time here is going by so quickly that I have trouble going to sleep at night for fear of not relishing every moment spent here. I don't know what it is about this place, but I can say with complete sincerity that I have never been so happy in my life. I wake up happy, I go to class happy, I very happily eat the delicious lunches provided every day at one... I even take cold showers (I've had three this week) without getting too bent out of shape. I lay my head down at night with a happy heart, thankful for another day well spent. I've moved away from home a few times in the past and each move has been accompanied by homesickness and complete sadness. Now here I am, halfway across the world, and I am having nightmares about Texas. Two nights ago, I dreamed I was back home and all I could say in my dream was, "I'm not supposed to be here; I'm supposed to be in Scotland." I love my family and I love my home... but it doesn't even feel right to call it home right now. I've cried one time (read: shed two tears) and it was because I was thinking about having to leave. I'm full of so much joy and I know it's just God shining down on me. It's so wonderful being in His will and knowing I'm exactly where He wants me. He is the source of my joy and I'm so incredibly thankful for what He is already doing in my life. That's not even the tip of the iceberg regarding what's going on in my life (and in my head right now) but that's where I'm going to leave it. I have a test tomorrow and I need to study. Things I love right now:
1. The people I'm surrounded by on a daily basis. 2. Wearing cool weather clothes. 3. The time and opportunity to practice piano. 4. The ability to strive to be a better version of myself. 5. Having my mind blown on a daily basis by how much God loves us.
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It's nearly unfathomable to believe I've already been in Scotland for twelve days. I feel like I just arrived yesterday while simultaneously feeling like I have always been here. It's nice to feel at home 4,454 miles from home. It took me about a week to adjust to the time zone here and to finally beat my jet lag, but things are finally all evened out for me now. (Side note: Having jet lag and being a natural night owl is about the worst combination out there. I don't recommend it.) I love Glasgow. Everything I need is just a short walk away: groceries, shopping (trying to avoid this), parks, libraries, etc. Even though we are located near a lot of establishments and there is road noise most of the night, I still feel secluded in our own little area of Glasgow. I can walk 10 minutes or less to catch a bus to the City Centre where there is shopping, food, museums, and lots of busking. I've already made lasting friendships since arriving and God has already revealed so much to me. It's amazing how sometimes a step of faith is all we need to realize just how much He has planned for us. Honestly, I struggled so much with coming here. It's crazy, I know, but I'm definitely a "comfort zone" person and I fought God every step of the way. It's not that I didn't want to come; I was just so terrified. Terrified of change, terrified of being all alone in a foreign place, terrified of life, terrified of surrendering my will to His. I hadn't even been here 24 hours before I felt complete peace about being here. I'm not, and haven't been, homesick. I just sit and bask in God's grace and glory constantly. I keep telling people that He opened a door, pushed me through, and then locked it. He has already broken my will to His and I'm so incredibly thankful. What a wonderful life I'm living! I've been blessed to be able to just spend time learning about God and missions, serving Him, serving others, and all while experiencing life in a place I've always dreamed of but never thought I would actually see with my own eyes. I can't stress enough how very blessed I am. Please be in prayer for each of us (and Frances, who is missing from the picture) as we let God mold us into who He needs us to be. We are here to learn and be used and that's what we intend to do!
Things I love right now: 1. Walking everywhere. 2. The cool weather. 3. Drinking tea (with milk) several times a day. 4. Living in community. 5. Food. My appetite has gotten out of control. |
AuthorAshton. 32. Born in Texas, living in Arkansas, heart in Scotland. Archives
October 2017
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