I am writing you from the age of 19 in the country of Albania to share with you a few little life lessons I have been honored to learn. They were not easy to learn and I did not always enjoy the growth I had while learning them. Because I have been out of my comfort zone I have been seeking something with solid ground.
In this short three month trip I have continued to see the Lord reveal his love for me in this season and throughout my life. I have learned that there are things in this life that feel like solid ground on a high cliff, but when you step on them they shake and begin to break-way under you. Things like a job, house, and money are things that fade away and don’t provide stability. The Lord is where the ground remains underfoot.
The Lord is so insanely patient. I cannot even begin to to understand how he is so patient with me. There are times I feel so far from where he wants me. I get so concerned, but he doesn’t hold that against me. He doesn’t hold my shortcomings over my head. I don’t know all the right answers, however, I do know the answer.
I am still growing. I have learned that I need to give myself the grace that the Lord has given to me. I shouldn’t be so hard on myself and you shouldn’t either. I find it so hard to not get stressed when asking the questions, but coming short of the answer. I am not big enough to ruin the story God has already written for me. For how can the characters of a book change what the author has written. Even if I make the “wrong” choice, God had already accounted for my humanness.
I have learned how to love in a completely new way. Each person I meet and connect with is another moment I’m gifted to remember forever. Finding friends is not always easy and it’s not alway hard. I haven’t been good at letting people in and staying. People aren’t easy to understand sometimes, but when you get out of your head you will see just how simple they are. They are all just searching for someone or something to connect with. So reach out and connect. Be a person people can approached. Most importantly live. Don’t hide because it’s all too much. Jump out of the car an run through the open fields. Sing in spiraling staircases. Live the life that you have with no regrets and put your everything into it. Say it with your chest and don’t look back. Learn, grow, and make a million mistakes. Risk it all for the sake of the one, and if you are the one, risk it all!
Sincerely, Faith
I’ve enjoyed seeing you “get out of your head” and connecting with people, Faith. You’ve been approachable and have learned and grown. Keep going for it as you return home!