Why do we do the things we do?
Why do we go to grad school?
Why do we move to NYC or Colorado Springs or DC without a job?
Why do we quit a secure job for something else?
Why do we move homes, cities, states?
Why do we travel to Peru without knowing a single person?
Why do we uproot and start over?
Why do we move to Africa without friends/family/loved ones?
Is it because we long for adventure, excitement, the unknown? Is there something appealing about the uncertainty, the lack of clarity, the challenge of trying something completely unfamiliar?
Or are we just tired of our present circumstances? Tired of being alone? Tired of being surrounded? Tired of the routine?
Or are we led there, by something Greater than ourselves?
Seasons change.
People change. And as we change, we can't always stay where we are. And we can't always stay with who we are with. And we can't always do what we've been doing.
That's the beauty of change.
That's also the scary part of change.
But I believe deep down we all want a little bit of the unknown.
We long for our lives to tell a story like The Greatest Story. And to tell that story our lives must have love, and friendship, and hardship, and great sacrifice.
It's innate in us.
So I'm not sure how you would answer those questions, some of you may already have, or are currently trying to do that.
But my prayer is that we are just trying to be obedient. That we wouldn't be satisfied with where we are, but that we'd constantly be growing and changing, moving and leaving, and yes - sometimes staying. :)
That our lives would have lots of love and even lots of hardship.
I think maybe the better question is "Why DON'T we....[fill in the blank]?"
I'm slowly gaining a clearer picture of my answer to the last question.
Not so much why did I move to Africa, but rather why did God bring me here?
Sometimes He doesn't always show us the answer. Sometimes I think He whispers it, or lets us discover it on our own in due time. And sometimes, I think He yells the answer. Ha.
You are not the only one reading your story. And often times, other people need to read a story of love/growth/sacrifice to make some changes in their own story. Besides, who writes a story just for themselves? Boring.
I know a great Author. And I'm honored to go where He leads.
I want my life to tell His story.
The Lord never builds a bridge of faith except under the feet of the faith-filled traveller.
If He builds the bridge a rod ahead, it would not be a bridge of faith. That which is of sight is not of faith...
We sit and weep in vain. The voice of the Almighty said, “Up and onward forevermore.”
Let us move on and step out boldly, though it be into the night, and we can scarcely see the way.
The path will open, as we progress, like the trail through the forest, or the Alpine pass, which discloses but a few rods of its length from any single point of view.
Press on!
However matters go, the worst will be a tired traveller and a joyful and sweet welcome home.
