Hebrews 13:1-2 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so, some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.
This December marks the 4 year anniversary of a time of great confusion in my life. I was living with my little sister in her college apartment, sleeping on the couch waiting to leave for Hertfordshire, England. I accepted a job to be a social worker and right before I was about to leave God slammed the door right in my face and told me that was not His plan. As things have fallen into place for Korea, I would be lying if I didn't admit that I have had some anxiety and fear that He would shut the door again. Satan's voice has been in the back of my mind whispering, "You don't know how to discern God's will for your life, you've been wrong before, you're wrong again."
When I got the news last night that my plane ticket has been purchased I was taken back by my reaction. Surprise was what I felt. With all the excitement and eagerness I've felt about getting to Korea, I think part of me still expected something to go wrong. As I sat there experiencing all different kinds of emotions, I couldn't help but think back to how different this experience has been than what I was feeling as I prepared to leave for England. During that time, I was running from things God was trying to help me heal from and this time I'm running toward growth. During that time I was leaning on worldly things for strength and comfort and this time I am falling into God's arms and letting Him embrace me tightly through this journey. During that time I was feeling alone and disconnected and this time I'm feeling completely surrounded by love and totally amazed at all the support I am receiving. God is so good!
Through the process of getting things in order for England I met 4 women who would be arriving in England around the same time. To stay in touch, one of the ladies created a yahoo group and we all became Facebook friends to help encourage and support each other through the process. Two of the ladies ended up going to England and the other 3 of us did not. I lost contact with all of them except for one. Over the last 4 years of being her Facebook friend I've learned that we have a lot in common. We both absolutely love F-R-I-E-N-D-S and although I can monologue every episode, she seems to think she could win at a trivia challenge. Her heart is full of love for others and it has been a joy to see her grow over the last 4 years. Recently she got married and while she is far away in Maine, because of the connection we made via Facebook 4 years ago I was able to get a glimpse of the beautiful bride through pictures. We have exchanged lots of "likes" and "comments" on Facebook and although we've never met I feel like I know her. It's crazy to me that a social networking site can make you feel so connected to people from so far away. But thinking about how my friendship with someone I've never even met has flourished and grown despite the distance brings comfort in knowing that the relationships I have now will continue to grow as well. I hope you all know that I desire to keep in touch with you throughout this journey. I desire to know what is going on in your lives and continue to love, support and encourage you from afar. I'm not sure if Kristen and I will ever meet but I'm so glad she continues to let me be a part of her life. Thank you for staying in touch and reminding me of what it means to love your neighbor as yourself. You are such a blessing.
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