Providence.

Well, God sure does provide...

Today I set off for Northern VA to spend some much needed quality time with my former college roommates, and given how insane it is to drive down there I figured I would try and kill two birds with one stone by getting a haircut nearby. When I arrived it turned out that my hairstylist had been switched, which wasn't a big deal since I'd never been there before anyways. So I sat and waited to be called. Almost as soon as I sat down in the chair it seemed the topic of occupation came up and as usually I told the stylist that I work for a christian campus ministry, and before I knew it our conversation was off and running. Through the course of my time there we got to talk a great deal about the church and God, both things that I could tell this individual was struggling with. 

As I sat there in the chair during one of the lulls in conversation it hit me how wonderful my job is, but this time the realization struck for a totally different reason. I've come to realize just how wonderful this job that God has called me to is because of the door that is opened the moment that I tell anyone what I do. On more than one instance lately I've had conversations take off in full force the moment I say what I do. It's so wonderful that I can be used in this way. While it doesn't always play out this way, I am so thankful for when it does. Today I was particularly overjoyed because I've been longing to have conversations like this, particularly because in this area people tend to be less friendly and open. I'm just so thankful for moments like this and for God's faithful provision. :)

Growing Pains..they're really for our best

Alas I meant to post this three nights ago, as I was pondering all these things while driving through D.C. on my way home from my brother's, but it was too late and I was too tired to do so. 

Anyways, I've come to the conclusion, and not without much wisdom from others, but this truly has been a real growing year for me. I will be the first to admit that College Park, MD had never come close to making my top ten list for places I wanted to live, but had God not seen fit in His infinite wisdom to place me here I would not be growing in the ways that I am. For the first time in my life I am living in a setting that is entirely foreign to me, and I must admit that it's quite terrifying. Never before have I been in a situation where I am so often in the minority. I go to the grocery store, to my Target, to Home Depot, and 9 times out of 10 I am in the minority. When I often walk into situations such as these I will admit I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb, and sometimes it makes me really uncomfortable, but slowly and surely God is making me really thankful for the diversity around me. Just the other day I was sitting in church as we were taking getting ready to take Communion and it hit me how amazingly blessed I was to look out before me and see that we have Elders and Deacons from all over the globe representing how the Gospel has gone forth to so many people. It truly is beautiful. I know that I have a long way to come in feeling uncomfortable being in the minority, but I also know that slowly but surely God is going to break down that fear within me.

On an additional note, I'm really growing to love my church body here which is a huge praise!

*This is a bit scattered... just proof I should have written this nights ago. My sincere apologies to all who a reading this.