Last week was Midwinter which, for those of you who don’t know, is the Evangelical Covenant Church’s annual gathering for pastors. It’s a week of spending time with people you love but live far away as well as a time of teaching and renewal for pastors. As a seminary student, I have the privilege of working Midwinter which allowed me to have some really long days last week.
This week we start back in with classes and I am attempting to find rhythm in the midst of the chaos in my life as a student/babysitter/president/cohort member/mentee/mentor/etc…. My classes so far have been invigorating and challenging. It’s a good place to be when you stay up til 12:30 not because you have to finish a reading but because you want to finish it. But more on that as the semester continues…
As of late I have had a lot of random thoughts that won’t leave my head so it’s time to get them out…
One of the best things I have ever done is choosing to walk the road of friendship with my best friend. I cannot express in enough words how much of a privilege it is for me to be living in the same city as her again after a few years of separation. I can only speak for myself but her role in my life far surpasses that of “friend.” I think of her more as family than as a friend…Let me explain. Because of the nature of my family and the ways in which we interact I have always felt a bit of an outsider. (read this as extended family not like my mom and brother). I always longed to have the kinds of relationships that I saw in the movies with my family. I’ve also always wanted a sister. In my best friend I get both. And this past year and a half I have enjoyed walking this journey of life with her and her husband. I am ever so thankful for her and the way in which she loves me so well. The way in which she knows me and knows my passions and brings me alongside of her work and her life. Our friendship is nothing short of heaven sent and I love every moment I get to stand beside her.
Last week at Midwinter there were a lot of reconnections with people from far away. I got a lot of time to process my life here and while there have been some really rough moments, I feel like I’ve come out of them more thankful than anything for the people around me. The chance that I get to live three blocks from my best friend and her husband and their beautiful little foster baby. The friendships that I’ve made here that will last much longer than my Greek vocabulary. The chance that I get to struggle though what it means to live the Gospel in our every day lives.
I feel more grounded recently than I have in a long time. I feel rooted in something that is bigger than myself and like I get to be a part of something new and exciting. There isn’t really anything new going on in my life to make me feel like this, just a better sense of connectedness to those around me. I guess it’s hard to explain but I just know that it’s one of those moments where I can’t help but grin and think, “I can’t believe I get to live this life.” And to be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve had that thought.
adventures in living an abundant life