Thanksgiving Reflections

      As I sit alone in a quiet corner of a little cafe on Thanksgiving day in the wooded, houses-and-gardens-and-train-track filled suburbs of the very southeast of Warsaw, Poland, I find some thoughts finally finding form in my soul and I feel at peace. Since I graduated college four and half years ago (and even during college), I have been exploring life and the world with eagerness, passion, anxiety, you name it. I have tried so much, done so much, made huge and fast decisions, chosen big risks and sometimes soared and sometimes crashed and burned miserably. I don't regret it for one second. I can see clearly now how the Lord guided, held and grew me through it all. I've learnt how the world turns and what human life and society require and I've learnt to remember the person I've always been, the inner person God created and I'm still learning now how to make choices which best reflect who He has created me to be. I fall happily on His grace.

      After all this running and trying and striving and just plain adventuring, I finally feel a settling in my soul, at least for the time being. Making it through this long year of life in Poland is a very big deal for me (and yea, I'm only half-way there right now). I see clearly already how God has worked and I think I have small glimpses of how He plans to continue to work in me and in those around me. It's painful, but so beautiful and such a true relief to rely absolutely upon God's daily providence to see me through another day, another week and He graciously adds so much joy to the rough journey of it. 

    

       What's even more grace is that I've started to hear His whispers on what He might have for me to do after this year is over. It's a small vision, but it's growing and I'm thankful to pray over Scripture and ideas and plans and watch for His confirmation. I see myself moving into a life of longer stays and more regularity and more equipment for future ministry. And the best part is that I feel so ready for it. 

October Reflections and Explorations

      I have been avoiding updating here for quite a while now. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it, scheduled days to write, written post-it note reminders, organized photos to be uploaded, because I have done all of that. The issue has been in the fact that I have not had any idea what I wanted to write, or what I should or shouldn’t write about or even how to formulate some sensible and informative update on how life is going here in southern Poland. I just have not been struck with the right words. The answer for the reason behind this lack of inspiration is probably the very same thing that I don’t really actually feel like writing about (but obviously, I’m about to…). 

     The thing is that the past month or so has been quite difficult…no, honestly, really, really difficult. I moved to Katowice because of a strong desire in my soul to spend more time in Poland and see what more the Lord has for me to do in this chapter in life. I LOVE Poland, really, and fortunately, I also have a great respect for and interest in Montessori education, so combining these two factors and watching as the Lord crushed barrier after barrier in the process of me moving here all seemed like life was turning up roses. It’s not at all that I wasn’t realistic and aware of the struggles of living in a foreign land far away from family and surrounded by a language I still don’t know very well, because I’ve done all that before. I knew what I was in for in that sense. At the same time, there are certain circumstances which I would rather not bore you with which have made life a struggle recently. I’m honestly not trying to complain. There’s not really much that I can do about it and at the end of the day, it is in God’s hands and I can still hold on to the knowledge that for this year, for whatever reason, God has placed me here and He will see me through.

     One absolutely beautiful thing that has happened in the past month is that I have finally fallen completely in love with my students. It is a joy to see them each morning and a joy to share life and laughs and new discoveries with them each week. I can see my relationship growing with them whether they’re knocking me over with morning hugs, snatching my slippers from off my feet or just singing with me as we walk to the playground. Lately, I have started to realize more of the absolute privilege and sobering gravity there is with being given the opportunity to work with these little ones. Not to sound cliché, but they quite literally are the future society leaders who will shape the world of tomorrow. If there is anything in which I can play a small part in imparting into their hearts this year, it’s that it is most important to be kind and to be gentle with others. These are huge words in my class right now. Each week may make me weary, but I can rely each day on the Lord’s strength to offer joy, acceptance and support to my little ones. 

     The weekends have become a great source of mending for me (I know they are for everyone!). Since I’ve found myself more than usually weary the past month or so, though, I have really learned the value in breathing deep at the weekend, exploring and recognizing all over again who I am in Christ and why I am here in Katowice in the first place. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had recently to get out of town for a few days and refresh my perspective before plunging back into another full week. If you think of me throughout this week, please say a prayer or two and for now, please enjoy these photos from recent explorations. God bless whoever may be reading this at the moment.  

Mid-October adventure in London!

Exploring shops at the Camden Market in London

This and all following are from a Saturday recently spent in Krakow