home.

As part of the CGA, one of the expectations they have is for us to blog weekly. Well, you know how blogging went while I was on the Race. It was a win if I got one blog written in a month. So I’m just going to be real with you, it’s hard. I think deep down inside, I really do enjoy blogging, I just struggle with putting into words what is happening. 

We got a prompt on Thursday to give those of us who may be struggling with knowing what to write about (me, me, me!). The prompt was Gainesville. At first I kept thinking, well there’s not much to write about. 

 “I live in Gainesville, this is my home currently, I’m lost 80% of the time (which is a huge improvement!) because everything is so spread out and the roads are super confusing because there is this really beautiful lake, called Lake Lanier, that is massive and amazing and I love it. But all the roads have to go around it which is where it gets complicated.

I live in a doublewide trailer with some really cool people, and it’s really nice to finally be moved in and somewhat settled down….for the next 3 months anyways.”

Those were my first thoughts.

But the past couple of days, God has been absolutely filling my cup to overflowing and opening up my eyes to see that my time here in Gainesville is so much more than just CGA, Lake Lanier, and the doublewide trailer (aka ‘The Mansion’) that I live in.

On the World Race I became fascinated by how quickly a place could feel like home. It didn’t matter where I was sleeping, what our living conditions were like, whether we were living on our own or we were sharing a home with our contacts. 

It didn’t matter if it was my favorite country or if the ministry that month wasn’t my favorite, I can look back at each place that we went and find those moments when each place became my home. And it was usually a pretty quick transition.

Gainesville is no different. 

We had a house warming party the other night, inviting all of our friends and neighbors over to help us celebrate “The Mansion” and it was beautiful. Our house was jam packed full with over a 100 people throughout the night. I was overwhelmed by the generosity and love from the people who came, but also that I get to be a part of the beginning of something big, way bigger than ourselves. My house mentor did an excellent job of summing up why it is that we are living where we are, in our beautiful doublewide trailer that is home. Read about it HERE.

My housemates : Me, Drea, Sabrina, Tim, Brant, and Jenna.

I’m really grateful to be surrounded by a community of people who love well.

Driving from the gym to the office the other morning, Tim and Drea, completely out of nowhere, started speaking words of affirmation to me. I didn’t ask for it, feedback wasn’t opened (World Racers, you know what I’m talking about!), but that’s just the kind of people they are. It was the nicest thing, and so encouraging.

Whether it’s getting my daily hug from Emily, or sitting on the floor with coffee in hand, having heart to hearts with new friends on rainy days, sharing about what the Lord has done and is doing in our lives. Whether it’s sitting in the living room with my housemates working on our homework assignments, or gathered around the table with my D squad family, laughing uncontrollably. I am constantly being loved by Jesus through all of these people. 

 Emily!

Jesus has given me so much life in this beautiful thing called community. Something that once intimidated me and scared me so much but is now one of my very favorite things. For so long I fought desperately to appear as though I had no struggles and everything was always just fine in my life, keeping everyone at arms length. Well, come to find out I had been robbing myself from living in so much freedom. 

I don’t have it all figured out, I don’t have it mastered, but I am loving this beautiful journey that I am going on with God. He is constantly teaching me new things about myself, more about Him, and everyday I find myself completely surrounded by His love in the people that I get to do this life with, both here in Gainesville and back home in Kansas, and all over the world. 

I am completely in awe by the beauty of Jesus right now and I just want to sit in it and soak it all up. Y’all, take a look around you and find the beauty of God. Let it overwhelm you and soak into every pore. Ahhhh He is so good and BEAUTIFUL and all things lovely.

This is my home, not because my bags are unpacked and all my things have a place, but because I am in the arms of my loving Father, surrounded by the body of Christ.