A Lesson in Diversity

As with any job, somedays I love my job and others not so much. Yesterday was one of those 'love my job kind of days.' Looking back, whenever I get to spend time with my clients is when I have those love my job days. My clients, who come from many different countries with many different languages and backgrounds inspire me daily. They are so resilient. They are so eager to learn and make a better life for themselves in the United States. The teach me new things about myself and about the world around me all the time. Yesterday was no exception to this.
We started a class a few months ago which goes all day four days a week and teaches intensive English, employment and cultural skills, as well as a training course led by Ivy Tech in specialized areas. I love visiting the clients at this class and watching them interact. Even though they come from all different countries with many different languages they have become friends. Yesterday I showed up and found two clients, one from Eretria and one from Burma outside hitting a volleyball back and forth to each other. They didn't speak the same language and couldn't verbally communicate but were playing and interacting together! I went in to another room and found another group of clients sitting around enjoying lunch together, and again interacting without the gift of a common language! When I left I was so happy to see a group of men, from at least four different countries with four different languages playing volleyball together (using a football goal for their net).

It's things like this that make me so proud of what I do and the people that I serve. This might not mean much to you...but to me it shows love and acceptance, something many of us often have far too less of. Many of us take for granted this life. We take for granted our commonalities, our security, and our safety. The people in the picture above has experienced trauma and pain beyond our wildest dreams. Yet, here they are enjoying the life they have and enjoying the company of people from extremely different backgrounds than that of themselves.

We could all use a little encouragement to be more kind, more compassionate, more loving, and more resilient in our everyday lives! Just one of the many lessons these amazing refugees have taught me!

This Life.

I know I am not alone when I admit this. Sometimes I compare myself to others. Sometimes I envy what other people have and what they are doing with their life. Sometimes I try to do so many things all at once not only to gain a memory for myself but so that I don't miss out on being in someone's memory. Not all the time, but sometimes I sit back and question myself. Not life shattering questions but just really think about my life and ask what the heck I am doing and why I am doing it. And sometimes I realize I am doing things for the wrong reasons.
Yesterday the message at church reminded me that it is better to have less of something that doesn't matter and have more of what does. I spend so much time chasing after things that don't matter most in life that I miss out on loving the things that do.
As Coy and I have had a lot of ups and downs over the past few months and a lot of change and uncertainty coming our way it has at times been difficult to remember that my value doesn't come from things the world views as valuable. And yet, at other times it has come so easily to look at my sweet husband and our family and our friends and know in the deep of my soul that I am blessed beyond words. I see my husband and look back on our almost two years of marriage together and am amazed how each day I love him more than the day before. I know when I look at him and at our lives that I could be content being poor with him and living in a shack for the rest of our lives because we would be doing it together. Now, that doesn't mean I wouldn't want things I didn't have (of course that's a given) but in the end I would rather be living in the valley with him then on top of the mountains alone.
So I am challenging myself on days where I feel uncertain and when I question things in life to remember that God has a perfect plan. His ways are always greater than mine. I need to let go of the things that don't matter and cling to the things that do. God doesn't want us to have things in life that will have us. He wants us to live a free life, throwing off everything that hinders and fighting for things that do matter. Because as I was reminded yesterday if both of my hands are constantly full of things then I don't have a free hand to tend to the important things in life.

And because there is nothing more free than the ocean here are a few pictures to remind me of what it means to be free of certain things and full of the life God has in store for me.

FLORIDA!

Last week I returned from a 10 day vacation in Florida! It was perfect combination and 'fun and sun' (yes, sometimes I'm just that nerdy).
I drove down with four other girls and despite the loooooooooooong drive it was actually not that unenjoyable! Another friend met up us at the beach and it a fun and exhausting five days! After five days of some great girl time the hubs flew down and met me and we spent the rest of the week with his family! (Which was good because I was starting to miss him pretty desperately - this is the longest we had been apart since getting married!)
This vacation was so needed! Of course I got my regular and anticipated bout of sun poisoning...but even this was managable. We had amazing weather the enitre week. Despite only finishing one of the five books I had brought it was an amazing trip!

 Getting ready for the dreaded 18+ hour drive and a million stops.

 All you can eat crab legs. So amazing. So sick afterwards.

 Loved this place! Coy and I actually came back again later in the week!

 Begin vacation part 2.

 Peyton?

Love him SO much!

It is always a little sad coming back from a vacation. Luckily Coy and I have two others planned in the next few months!

In the meantime we are keeping occupied with many changes in life right now! More to come on this later!

Happy Spring!