heyo friend, it's been a while, and there's a few big things i should probably update you on.
i ran a half marathon for cancer research.
i graduated high school.
oh & i moved from england to america & started college.
2023 always seemed so far off in the distance. i knew it was my graduation year and that 2023 would hold a whole lot of change, but here i am. almost done with 2023, and having experienced so much more change than i ever thought possible.
going to liberty for college was a dream of mine for 3.5 years before i finally got here. my coming to liberty story is wild and i would not be here at lu if it wasn't for God working miracles on miracles. it would take way too many blog posts to explain the whole story, so just know that:
God is GOOD.
The Lord's promises never fail.
Jesus makes a way where there seems to be no way.
BUT if you're genuinely interested and have a few extra hours to spare, i'd love to tell you the story of how the Lord guided me to LU (we can even grab a cup of coffee !)
the week of june 19th - 23rd 2023 was the biggest week of my life up to that point. in the span of 7 days i wrote my last high school (a-level) exam, my F1 study visa was approved, and i graduated high school. i cried more than once, laughed a whole lot and lived every moment to the fullest. i said goodbye to old friends and new friends alike, and started to process the fact that june 23rd marked the end of an 18-year era. it was hard letting go of something so good. but i'm also beyond grateful that i have friends who made saying goodbye so hard.
then on august 15th i did a crazy thing and flew halfway across the world to a country i had never been before for college ... all on my own. 70 year old me will probably look back on this and wonder what in the world was i thinking, but 19 year old me is loving the adventure. the last 12 weeks have been a whirlwind. classes, hall events, sports, social outings with friends, church ... all the fun stereotypical American college experiences. some things have been easier than i thought they would be (making friends, classes) and some things have been harder than i thought they would be (finding a new church).
i watched the lu men's tennis team play a few weeks ago, and i found myself smiling like a little goofball most of the time. i sat there in awe at the fact that i now get to watch one of my favorite sports at my dream school in person. i catch myself multiple times a day stopping what i'm doing and just standing in awe at the fact that i am at Liberty living in answered prayers from the last 4 years. how crazy good is the Lord?!
to the one who is in high school right now and wishing they were in college, don't rush. the time you're anxiously waiting for is going to come so much faster than you think.
to the one who is terrified of the new unknowns, take it one day at a time. the Lord has it all figured out already, so you don't have to.
i know the unknown is scary, but God knows.
i know your dream may seem impossible, but God is a miracle worker.
He has done it before and He is faithful and able to do it again.
it's a strange feeling yearning for the next, new season to arrive, and simultaneously being afraid of the unknown it holds. life seems like a constant battle of desiring the new while living in the answered prayers of previous years. in this season i have been learning that there is beauty in not knowing how the entire story plays out yet. there is great freedom in taking every day as it comes and trusting the Lord to hold every fear and every victory. i'm learning not to get so caught up in wanting the future to come faster that i lose sight of the beauty of the season that the Lord has me in right now. i'm learning to be content in the now; living every moment to the fullest, and waiting patiently for the future - because i've seen time and time again that it comes so much faster than i think it will.
lastly, i've learnt that the things i was worried about a few months ago, didn't deserve all that time and energy. fear and anxiety have no place in the Kingdom of God. He promises fullness of joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11). so why would i dwell on things that draw me away from His presence?
anyway, these are just some of my thoughts on the craziness that has been the last few months. i hope that somewhere in here you find something that encourages you and reminds you of the awesome God we serve.
until next time,
larah x
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