Busy With Growth

More often than not, I experience something or someone and think: I need to blog about this. The problem is that 1. I'm not near a computer to immediately blog, or 2. I just don't take the time. It's the later that seems to be causing a lot of my "issues."

I'm just so busy trying to embrace all that I can during this year. In the last two weeks, I've had breakfast with a Presbyterian pastor who is also a Benedictine Nun who runs an intentional community in Wisconsin (something I yearn to do next summer), experienced the fabulous and Nashville famous Pancake Pantry, Hillsboro Village, Islamic Cultural Center, and the Farmer's Market. I've had coffee and great conversations with students, planned and lead an Ash Wednesday service, spent the night on campus helping with Room In the Inn (a non profit that works with the homeless), finalized the Guatemala trip details, and taught several InterFaith classes. I'm working on creating an Arts and Spirituality class, am part of a keynoting team for a youth conference in April, all while trying to take time to listen for the movement and guidance of God in what comes next.

It's been fulfilling, exhausting, overwhelming and incredibly joy-filled all at once. I'm working to pull back the layers of my life; slowly excepting that I don't have it all figured out. I am broken and sinful, full of messy stuff that God, for whatever reason, has decided is worth redeeming and glorifying. That's probably been the most exciting part of my personal growth these last few weeks: that once I declare (and really accepted) myself to be broken, there was an ease and a lightness in the path ahead. This new freedom keeps reminding me of what I heard at the Montreat College Conference: "It's a long way to the realm of God when you have to haul your crap with you."

I feel like I keep telling people that I'm loving my experience, have grown a lot, and am trying hard to listen for the gentle whisper or meaningful interaction that so often reveals God in my life. There is something unique and exciting about this year I've taken. . . a year some would say that I "took off" from the real world. But the thought that keeps coming back to me is this: Aren't these messy truths what the real world is all about? That's what Muhammad, a homeless man I spent some of my Room in the Inn time with, was saying: "Girl, wherever your journey takes you, remember that it ain't always pretty, but at least you're moving. So enjoy the ride and go great places."

That's the plan after all, to keep moving and discovering new things about this ministry, the people I'm around, the world, and myself.