Four Years

these stone buildings would become my friends
and I would walk with them often.

I'm trying to comprehend the fact I've been living in the same place for four years now. Maybe thats a little small compared to the fact that I lived 19 years on the farm before I moved, but still four years is a long time.

How did the years slip by so quickly? How was it one moment I was homesick beyond measure and the next moment I couldn't bear the thought of leaving?

Four years ago I got in a suburban to go a road trip with my friends. I went because the car was going, not because I was particularly interested in seeing the school. A school visit was not going to make my decision God was going to.

um yeah this the pre college face. void of scars,
but all very full of the adolescent look.

Long hours on the road finally got us into town and I saw the beautiful beauty of stone buildings and regal lampposts. I fell in love.

I sat around a table and watched students eat leftovers or cold cereal for those who weren't into warmed up food. I listened to them talk about funny tales of my dear friend Celeste. I listened them tell their graphic EMT stories...and then they remembered I was there and apologized. I said I didn't care. After all I lived on a farm and had brothers. I listened them talk about the challenge of being a Christ like example at work. 

I pulled my already filled out application out of my suitcase and left it in the office. I kind of liked the school and wanted to go there.

I went to church and was inspired by the beautiful worship. I saw the edifying and building up of the saints in that church.

who knew this would become my place of work?

I arrived home. In the space of a few weeks a tick bit me and made me very sick, my grandma died, I started a job and I wondered if I should really go to school so far away. Then I got a message from someone who I met only once in my life, but was a good friend of my brother. Randomly six months after the three of us had sat together in Starbucks and sipped coffee she wrote me and encouraged me to go to college.

I needed that encouragement, so with a resolute determination I would cram boxes full of things and go off to a place where I knew God would work.

Did He ever. Each year God brought me back and then much to my surprise ( and honestly at first to my horror) I stayed another year after graduation. The tales of this past year are another story for another time.

All I can say is that God's grace is abundant. I never thought this is where the road would lead, but I'm glad it did. Life here has been a very grand adventure because of God's grace.

 these hills would take away my breath...every single day