Be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead. --1 Peter 1:6
It's been too long since I have written an update on my blog! I was trying to think of where to begin to capture the past few months, and I kept coming back to the subject of "joy." Finding joy in where God has placed me has been a constant lesson God has set on my heart. I wanted to share with you some of the things I have learned as I have experienced all the highs and lows of moving away from home, navigating an unknown city, and finding community in new places. God has been faithful, and I am so thankful for what He has taught me!
First of all: a little life update! On January 13th, I passed the NCLEX and officially became an RN. On January 15th, I moved down to Birmingham! I have had two incredible roommates in a beautiful apartment about fifteen minutes from my work. I accepted a job last November at Children's in Birmingham as a pediatric nurse on an GI/GU endocrinology floor specialized in kiddos with diabetes, kidney, and liver transplants. I have had an enormous amount to learn over the past few months of orientation, but I absolutely love my job! My coworkers are the sweetest group of people I could ask for and have been incredibly patient with me as I have learned all the specialized meds, procedures, and protocols for our floor. I am going to be off orientation at the end of this month, which is both exciting and scary at the same time. I am feeling a lot more prepared to be on my own, but I am so thankful I have many amazing resources and support in place when I need them. I am also grateful that my apartment is two hours away from my parents' house, so I am close enough to be able to drive home for the weekend whenever I have the time. I always love seeing my siblings and enjoying enough big family craziness to tide me over til my next visit!
To be joyful is a principle. It doesn’t change with emotions. Joy is an inner contentment despite all circumstances. -- Richard Daly
To be perfectly honest, this year has not looked anything like I expected it to look. My last semester of nursing school ended with the unexpected death of one of my classmates, a devastating breakup, and a total change of life plans. I never imagined I would be moving away from home and living on my own, but I can say with all of my heart that I am so enormously grateful for where God has placed me and how he has worked in my life throughout the past several months. He has brought healing I never thought possible, growth I didn't know I needed, and a precious community I didn't know existed. The sweet friends, coworkers, and people who have touched my life this year have been unexpected but oh so needed!
One of the greatest lessons I have learned this year is to be fully present in the stage of life God has placed me in. Anyone who knows me knows I am a planner. (I've probably posted way too much about that here!) Yet I have come to learn that spontaneity can be the spice of life. It is okay to embrace the unexpected and realize that ultimately God's plan for our lives is not always going to match up with ours. Finding joy and contentment in the present has left me feeling so much freer. The weight of control and micromanagement is
something God never intended for us to carry. He is sovereign, and I know I can lay my life in His hands without any worry for what tomorrow will bring.
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. – Epicurus
Do you ever notice how often the little things that frustrate us in the moment become the sweet memories we cherish in the future? I've come to realize this more and more as I have graduated, moved away from my family, and begun to embrace the independence of adulthood and the beginning of my career. Past frustrations like doing the mountains of dishes that pile up in a family of eleven or having little siblings climb all over my bed and interrupt me while I am trying to study are now things I look back on with a bittersweet sense of longing! When I go home now, that mountain of dishes turns into an opportunity to play Disney music with my siblings and chat about what is going on in their lives. And disappointment sets in if my bed is NOT filled with my siblings, all squeezing in to watch Narnia movies together and staying up way too late. If we look at life with a desire to pursue the opportunities God sets in front of us, we will begin to realize that each day and each moment is a blessing, a rich opportunity for growth, and a potential precious memory.
Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow. --Swedish proverb
Don't get me wrong: there are definitely moments that are HARD. When I am in the middle of an exhausting shift, changing a blowout diaper for the thousandth time or dealing with an utterly sleep-deprived parent, it can be hard to find the joy. When I remember what once was and let go of a dream once hoped for, it is hard to embrace a sense of peace. But at these times I need to remind myself that God has placed me where I am in life right now. He has a purpose for every frustration, an intention for every inconvenience, and the grace I need to get through every circumstance he brings into my life.
One of the highlights of my week has been going to SUB25, a college and young adult ministry at Gardendale Baptist Church. The other week we were talking about ministry and the Great Commission. Madison was talking about the importance of sharing the Gospel and the call to ministry that we all have as Christians. Yet in the midst of his message, he also emphasized how important it is for us to refuel and recharge with fellow believers. We certainly cannot expect to be able to be good witnesses for Christ if we are going into the world running on empty! The only way we can spiritually recharge is by immersing ourselves in God's Word, engaging in prayer, and enjoying fellowship with our church family. No matter how weary I feel when I arrive, I always leave SUB25 feeling encouraged and energized. There is something so special about sharing your heart with other belivers and realizing that you are never alone in whatever you are walking through. If you are feeling spirtually weary, I cannot encourage you enough to seek out this kind of fellowship. It is so, so important!
Wherever you are in your life right now, I pray you too can find joy! Even though life can seem impossible at times, God has promised to give us every bit of strength we need to get through whatever He brings us to. If He brings us to it, He can carry us through it! I am praying this weekend is a time of rest and refreshment for all of us. I love you all so much and am so very grateful for the countless people who have loved, prayed for and supported me in this new stage of life!!
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