Last Day

Tomorrow, I will be returning to the country I love--my parents like to remind me how much I didn't write them the first time I lived there because I was always so busy with life there--I'll be living in Austria for 10 months, studying German and working as a teaching assistant, and hopefully interviewing World War II veterans and getting ready to work on my thesis when I come back. The thoughts that are running through my head are giving me a headache. There's still so much to do. I haven't even started packing yet, and my flight leaves in 15 hours. It's like turning another page in the book of my life. I love adventures, and this is nothing short of that.

Blessings Unmeasured

Over the course of the last few days, I've been reminded of the numerous things people have done for me in my life. I went to lunch with some friends from SkyWest Airlines last week and one series of memories that came to mind were the times when I was stranded at various airports throughout the US. I was always able to call Donna, one of the ladies who works with my mom, and ask her to help me airport hop back home. One particularly rough weekend, I had been flying around visiting people before my mission, and I got stranded in Atlanta (go figure) because of inclement weather. As I sat for a few hours with other passengers waiting for some sort of miracle, I heard about their concerns as they tried to find ways home, ranging from altering flight plans to buying a ticket for a greyhound bus. I called Donna, and she found me a route right away, got me out of Atlanta and back home faster than I realized was possible. It's nice to know that people are there to help me find my way home, no matter where I am, or how hopeless the outlook is.
There are so many ways that God watches out for us through the people we know, and He puts us in a position to help each other in ways that we don't consider. In the time that I've been home, I was able to meet an elderly couple in my parents' ward at church. They are the best examples to me of what love and service are. The husband takes care of his wife 24 hours a day, who is ill with dementia--an illness that affects short term memory. He is always so attentive, and though she can't remember things, she remembers everything about him. Seeing what happens when we put others' interests before our own is inspiring. I want to be like that--the kind of person who can put my faith in God, knowing that He'll take care of me as I take care of His children. So far, He has put people in my life who have been great examples of service. They come from everywhere in the world and serve in so many different ways.

The Best is Yet to Be

I've been home at my parents house for six days now, and they have tried so hard to make it nice for me. I appreciate and love them for all that they do. Still, it's hard for me to be stuck in this transitional phase where i'm not part of anything. I come and go as I please, but with that freedom comes a feeling of uselessness. In Provo, I had my place. I contributed to the society in which I lived.
St. George brings new challenges for me. I feel like Lot's wife, looking back at the city she knew so well, friends she must have had, and her life's memories and experiences. It's time for me to move on, but I can't help looking back. There are obvious differences to her story and mine. For example, I'm not turning into a pillar of salt and Provo, UT isn't exactly sodom and gomhorra.
The whole experience reminds me of a talk by Elder Holland called, "The Best is Yet to Be." He challenges us to realize that God has better things planned for us if we are willing to move forward with our lives and not dwell in the past. While we have great memories of where we were and the friends we've had, Elder Holland reminds his readers that we are not through creating memories. There is more to our story, and God has greater plans for us than we know.
There's a great, big world out there, and I know that God is ready to help me see the great things to come. St. George is just a stop on the way to where I'm going, and I need to keep the bigger picture in mind as I prepare to move ot Austria again, and learn more about who I can become and the people I can serve.