Jesus and the Journey

I will be the first to admit that writing a blog in times like these feels incredibly insignificant and silly. With the attacks on Ukraine this week and hundreds of thousands of displaced, panicked people fleeing for their lives, it is difficult to sit idly by and type this to you. But, I want you to know that I am currently safe here in Hradec Kralove, and it seems that we will remain safe. Obviously, we have no way of knowing that with 100% certainty, but do we ever really have that certainty? No.  Before the attacks on Thursday, there had been mere murmurs about the tensions rising, but nothing that I had thought too much about. It seemed like such a distant reality.  And then, the day actually came. While Ukraine is not directly next to the Czech Republic, the attacks still feel a little too close for my comfort. I began to panic over the reality of the situation and the ambiguity of the future. And then, God brought to my mind those thousands of people. Suddenly without a...

  If you know me at all, you know how much I love the sun. I love the warmth of it on your skin, the light it gives to fill the room, the way it makes everything it touches seem brighter, happier, and not so heavy. It is a reminder to me that it will not always be dark. Not in the world, not in my mind, not in my circumstances.  For the first month that I was here, the sun very rarely shown itself (like three times, maybe). Which was one reason that my transition here was so difficult. But thankfully this week, the sun has been out often, and on those days, I simply soak it in. One way I've been doing that is by going on walks everyday. One day this week, I was walking along the sidewalk and I noticed that at nearly every house, a dog was laying out, perfectly basking in the sun's light and heat. They looked completely content, not a care in the world. (I'm not sure if dogs ever have cares - but laying in that sun, they seem as worry free as they could ever be!)  Before, ...

  It's hard to believe it's already been a month here. And yet it is also hard to believe it has only been a month. A month in a foreign land. A month of lessons learned, tears cried, prayers prayed, deep laughter, and a greater dependence on the Lord than I have ever experienced. A season that will never be completely replicated. But, one filled with new knowledge that I will carry with me into the seasons after.  As I said before, I've been reading through the gospels. This past week, I came upon Matthew 14:22-33, a familiar passage, one I could almost paint from memory. It starts with Jesus alone, praying on the mountainside. Perhaps recuperating after all that he has done: the healings, the teachings, the miracle of feeding the five thousand just before this story begins. When Jesus is weary, he seeks out time to be completely alone with the Father. This is seen many different times within the gospel narrative. With Christ as our example, we can learn that it is importa...