Courage and Patience

My life has seen a lot of change in the last few months. A few weeks ago, I moved out of my house in Adrian to live back home. And with this, came a lot of big transitions. I went from working at the Middle school where I student taught at to a High school where I knew no one. I went from living with two awesome friends to living with my dad, my mom, and my younger brother (... although they're awesome too). And, most traumatic of all, I went from living in the city to living in the country.

During this transition, I was at first very fearful and anxious. I was scared to start a new job. And even more than that, I was scared to move back home. I didn't want to leave the place I had learned to love over the last two years and a place where I felt safe. 

But through this all, God is showing me some things. First of all, He's showing me that He's right here with me. He hasn't left me and he is just as much alive here as he was in Adrian. With this realization, I've found myself less afraid of the unknown and more excited. I'm beginning to not live in defeat but to pray for my days to come. Lately I have been praying for courage and patience to replace any fear and anxiousness. And He is giving me those things.

God is giving me courage to treat the young people I work with with respect and care. Courage to know that just because the last time I called this house my permanent home wasn't the best time of my life, doesn't mean that those experiences will define my time here now. And courage to hope in Him.

Along with this, God is giving me patience as I work with students who have given up on school. Patience as I work with students who are giving up on life. Patience as winter seems never ending. Patience as I wait for the time to come when I'll go on the World Race.

Like I said before, when I first moved back home, I wasn't having it. I wanted to be back in the city I had, to my surprise, began to love. Adrian is a place where my friends are nearby and opportunity seems at hand and, along with this, a place where I could be living on my own again. I wanted my independence back. But I knew in my heart that this place was where I needed to be. The new job is an incredible opportunity for me and really a huge blessing. Along with this, its time for me to take my dream of going on the World Race seriously, and living at home is definitely going to help that out.

As I've given this transition some time and a better attitude, I realize that I'm not in such a bad position after all. There are a lot of opportunities for me here and I'm beginning to see a whole new side to the towns I've known since I was young.

I think this is all just to say that no matter where you are, God is with you. And along with that, He can turn what seems like a bad situation into something good. He can make your fear into courage and your anxiousness into patience.

I encourage you to have courage and patience wherever you are at in life right now. Maybe your in a place right where God wants you and you just need to change your attitude about it. Maybe you need to have patience for the sun to rise as you sit through the dark night. Or maybe you know your not in the right place and you need to take a step of courage to change that. Either way, have courage yet  be patient. Have the courage to try out something new and make a move, but be patient when everything doesn't seem to be falling into place as fast as you wish it would.