Day 3

There is a group of 12, all in their twenties, sitting around a table in the middle of an Italian restaurant. I was among that 12 with an empty chair next to me. I felt a bit awkward not really knowing any of the kids that I was with and then having an empty chair next to me, made me seem a bit removed from the group. A few minutes after we are sitting there, a girl wearing jeans, t-shirt, and blue rimmed glasses walks up and sits in the empty chair. We have a short introduction of each other and go back to the conversations we were in. I am sitting there eating a piece of garlic bread when Gwen leans over and says, "If you want to talk about God with anyone, Jackie would be perfect. She loves Jesus." With that I uttered something like, "okay" or "cool." But then Jackie told me about some scripture she just read. It was in Genesis where Jacob is wrestling with God. I quickly got excited because the day before, I had read the same exact scripture! My eyes even began to tear up. For the rest of the time, Jackie and I shared our thoughts on God and what I was going through. I told her about why I was in VA and how I am trying to seek God's face. And with this conversation, I felt a bit of weight lifted off my shoulders. It was as if God was telling me, not to worry, He was still in control. 

I am not sure why I came to VA, but I do know that God has been with me during this trip. I tend to get down and stressed when I do not know what is coming or if I do not know what is going to happen. But I do know, God is leading me somewhere. And where ever that is, it is going to be amazing. As I was telling Jackie about my situation with Thailand and how frustrated I was, she simply replied, "That's exciting." How awesome is that? To be able to see a situation where all I see is defeat, she sees excitement. But it is exciting, right? I mean, I am in a place with unknowns. A place to discover new areas. A place to grow. A place to learn more of who my father really is.

Matthew 10:34 

"Do not think I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword."

I am excited...