On Sunday morning, May 21st, 2017, at precisely 5:40 AM, I will be hopping on a plane to begin a summer adventure in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. How am I feeling right now, you ask? Anxious. Excited. Nervous. Scared. Pumped. Terrified. All of the above!
For those of you who don't know, this summer I will be counseling/lifeguarding at Camp Crestridge for Girls. I am COMPLETELY taking a step out of my comfort zone by doing this, which is why I think I am feeling so many mixed emotions! I will be flying on a plane alone for the first time (which a lot of people have been reassuring me isn't as bad as it seems... yay!), going to a place I have never ever been, and hanging out with people who I have never met! Sounds crazy, right? Yup, pretty much.
This time of my life feels like a time of many transitions -- not just for me, but for everyone around me as well. The lives are changing of so many people I grew close to this year... people are getting married, moving across the country, transferring schools, ahh! I wish everyone could just stay. But what I've been realizing lately is that even though change is hard for all of us, it is necessary and good.
There is a strange kind of peace that comes with the transition into another season of life. I have had to constantly remind myself that although the future is unknown and perhaps more beautiful than the "right now's," God doesn't want me to focus on that. God wants to use me in the present moment to the fullest capacity. I may be counseling 40+ girls this summer, recording my first single, helping lead worship at a new church in Green bay next fall, and studying at UW-Green Bay as a chemistry major... all of these things are so great, and I am beyond thankful.
... but right now, I'm sitting at a table waiting for someone to come into the coaching lab at NWTC and ask for help with math. On my way home from work, I might stop through the drive-thru of Starbucks. Later tonight, I'll make dinner for my family and then hang out with some friends from high school before I leave for the summer. This is my "everyday life," you could say. These are the "present moments" that God wants me to make the most out of.
While it's great to plan for the future and look forward to all the amazing things coming up in your life, it's just as important to make the most out of the little (dare I say, boring?) moments that you're a part of right now. Showing love to others and sharing a smile isn't hard at all, but it has the power to make someone's day. We may never know the people we come into brief contact with that simply pass through our lives and come and go within five seconds -- but while they do, we have the opportunity to have an impact on them.
Whether it be your bus driver, your waitress, the person you pass on the sidewalk, or a drive-thru Starbucks cashier -- God puts us in moments with specific people for specific reasons, no matter how brief. Don't waste your opportunity. Make the most of those moments by taking your eyes off of what's to come in the future and focusing on the impact you could have now.
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So there's your encouragement for the day. :) I also just wanted to let you all know that throughout this summer I am going to try to post CC4G (Camp Crestridge 4 Girls) updates on my blog each week like I did last summer. I am excited for what God is going to do, and how He is going to use me there. Please pray that all my fears would be calmed and for my campers and that their hearts would be opened to whatever God has in store for them this summer! Wow!! Here's to new seasons, new adventures, and making the most of every moment (even the typical/boring ones!) where you have the ability to have an influence. <3
