Overflows

Lately the country tunes have found their way to the top of my ipod playlist. And the crooning of nostalgic cowboys has made me feel a tad bit nostalgic myself. Usually the country music leads me to the bottom of a whiskey bottle and thoughts of my lil broski, a diehard country fan (one, both or neither of those statements may or may not be true), but right now life is dealing the right mix of ingredients for a little bit of sentimentality. A journey is coming to an end, bringing the emotion, expectation and thoughts that come from reflecting on the past and looking to what's next in life.

I think its rare that life affords us the opportunity, chance or means to step away from all that is familiar and look in on our little lives from a removed, outward position. When it comes down to it, we establish our circles of friends, our jobs, our family, our home, our church, our schedule and we build our lives around these things. Even become consumed by these things. And stepping away from it all for a long period of time has been the best knock in the face that I've gotten in awhile. God has given clarity through the discomfort of the unfamiliar, the longing for family and friends, the challenges of adjusting to a new country. Being broken and humbled is truly the best place to be in life. It gives an all-knowing, all-loving, all-powerful God the room to work that we wouldn't allow Him when we try to do things on our own. What amazing revival His work brings to life! He has convicted my heart in ways that I refused to face when I was at home. He has made me crave solitude so that I may be silent before Him- be still and simply think of Him. He has shown me things about my life that need to change, people I need to love better, ways I need to give of myself, my resources, my energies. I came to Australia with the expectation of experiencing a new life and instead, God gave me vision, purpose and clarity for my old one. I feel a sense of renewal, of refreshment, of vitality to live a life worthy.

As people, we were created for relationship. With God, with people. We are relational creatures that function, react and thrive off having our lives woven together with others. It's a beautiful thing. God's shown me how much I've missed out on the joy of relationship because I let my own pride and selfishness get in the way. I've realized how much I cherish and treasure the people He's woven into my tapestry of life, and that I never want my schedule or my business to get in the way. And even moreso, He's shown me that my life source is Him. That the only way to experience true joy, real life, richness and depth out of life, is through deep and authentic relationship with our Creator. The simplicity of it is profound, and yet really living this way in everything I do is a life-time task that will never be perfected.

What a journey its been! I can't even scratch the surface in this little blog of the things I've felt, the new experiences I've had, my changed view of the world and the people in it. As the idea of home becomes nearer each day, I can't help but be thankful for such an opportunity as this. I have the feeling that God still has fresh insight and teachings for me that will continue to be revealed post-Aussie.