one day late

Last night as I was getting snuggled up in bed, I decided to browse Facebook for awhile.  I quickly found a common theme on my News Feed.  My fellow U-squaders were all posting about our 2 year anniversary since setting foot back on U.S. soil after the craziest 11 months of our lives.  Of course at this point I was too tired to form sentences much less post meaningful reflections.  So now, one day late, I will celebrate my 2 year anniversary of returning to the beautiful US of A after putting on a backpack and trekking around the world.

I still struggle to even describe that year.  Occasionally, I find myself speechless when asked what my favorite country was.  I can quickly tell you my least favorite country, but my favorite is much harder to decide on.  So many days of that trip were not pretty, but it was through the constant brokenness that the Lord met me and healed me.  I cannot even begin to express the gratitude to the Lord and to every single person who supported, prayed for, and encouraged me.  It meant so much to know I had such an amazing support system partnering with me as I brought the Kingdom of God to the nations.  So THANK YOU to every one of you!!! You are truly spectacular people, and I am humbled and honored to know you.

As I traveled from Thailand to Moldova, I saw the Lord work in unusual and miraculous ways.  I saw glimpses of the Kingdom come to heal lives and souls.  I saw people healed, demons cast out, and true community at work.  I endured long, ridiculous travel days and days of extreme exhaustion when I only partially functioned.  I was healed of struggles that had plagued me for most of my life.  I was truly changed forever.

I thought when I got home from the World Race, I would get to live a "normal" life finally.  I was looking forward to settling down, working a full time job, and moving out of my parents house (LOVE YOU mom and dad!).  But that's not what happened.  I struggled with a lot.  I had many dark days filled with doubt and questions.  Through career changes and counseling sessions, the Lord continued to teach me through the Race even though I was home.  He continued to heal and transform me.  For that reason, I would not change a single bad day, on the Race or since I've been home.  It has led me to this new exciting season that I wouldn't have ended up otherwise.  It has shaped me to become more like Christ in the most beautiful way.

So today I celebrate the end of one journey that led to the beginning of a whole new one.  Without that crazy, unreal, amazing, life-changing year who knows where or who I would be.