This exact time in a week, I will be back in good ole North Carolina. I will be back in North Carolina, not in Chicago no more. This is so crazy. Who knew that my summer would go by so quick and that I would already be on my way to going home. I cannot believe that 8 weeks are already over. Monday begins week 9 and my last one in the Windy City. God has taught me so much this summer and I guess I'll recap what He has taught me over the past 8 weeks.
God has taught me a ton about being vulnerable with people, especially with my fellow sisters-in-Christ. I have never fully grasp why I should be vulnerable and what it looks like for me to be vulnerable. My vulnerability looks really cool with certain people. I find myself being very open about my struggles and about what God has been teaching me. I have found myself wanting to share my struggles with other girls on project and it's so cool the conversations that arise because we are sharing in our struggles with the sin in our lives. It is hard some times to be completely open with other people and I always finding myself not wanting to be as open as much as God wants me to. It has been an ongoing process of learning to be vulnerable with other believers and to not let my pride get in the way of me sharing my deepest struggles. God has also been showing me what a community of believers look like. It has been really encouraging to be able to see a group of 70 college students loving Christ and living for Him and how we are all able to interact with each other because of that common ground. I've never really experienced what it means to have real friendships and ones that I know will last for a lifetime. I know that this group of people will always be there for me and I think I can finally see what a real friendship based solely on Christ looks like for me.
This past Thursday, we all got a little special encouragement note in our encouragement folders. People kept telling me to go get mine, but I decided to wait until after the meeting. I opened my little packet and saw that I had little encouraging notes from the people that I love the most. I had some from my friends back at ECU and some from family members. The most ridiculous thing was that I saw my Daddy's name on one sheet and the tears came falling down. I hadn't even read one line or anything, just seeing my sweet Daddy's name on that note made me tear up. This is when I'm so thankful for my sweet dear friends here at project because they made me feel so much better and they all know how to comfort me when I'm balling. I finally had time to read through all of the letters and God really knew this was perfect timing for me to get them. Each note really struck me with sincerity and it actually made me miss home more than I had all summer. Knowing that these people were constantly praying for me and for my relationship with the Lord while I am in Chicago is so humbling. One of my super dear friends, Mackenzie, wrote me a note that contained the words I needed to hear. She wrote that I needed to not think of project coming to an end, but to continue to live everyday in the moment and to strive for God in everything that I do. I have found myself getting into the mindset that since project is coming to an end that I don't need to keep getting to know people or to talk to people on campus, when really, I should continue to strive for sharing the gospel daily and to building relationships with people on project.
So...my prayer this week is that I go out with a bang and leave a legacy behind that will only glorify God. I will not think about the end, but enjoy the now..the now that I get to spend with the most amazing people ever..the now that I get to learn more and more about my Heavenly Father...the now that I get to live in Chicago...and the now that I get to learn more about myself as a chosen daughter of God.
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