The last three months have been packed to the hilt with newness, challenges, and a myriad of experiences. It's often felt like I'm standing in a snow globe, and God just picked it up and started shaking it til all I could see was the swirling white flakes, spinning frantically around me. Each flake was something new, someone new, someplace new, a new piece of information, a new observation, a new thought, a new feeling, a new connection.
I think God made us all - even the people who love adventures - so we seek out stability, peace, and solid ground in something, someplace, or someone eventually. That rooted, at-home feeling is something we all desire at the end of the day. Excitement, variety, adventure, and newness are all wonderful, but we eventually want to find our niche and start digging in with our roots.
Near the end of this semester, I'm still being hit in the face sometimes with new flakes, but the spinning has slowed down. Picture after a blizzard when the frozen, sparkling snow is softly settling to the ground. The torrential wind has died down, and you can start to discern the landscape around you again. You can start to pick out familiar landmarks, and you're back to comprehending your environment.
My surroundings at North Park, in Chicago, maybe even in the Midwest (..maybe that's a bit of a stretch) are starting to make sense and feel familiar. I'm beginning to gain a glimmer of understanding and focus on where I fit in the midst of this community, this neighborhood. There's still plenty that will change and evolve over the rest of my time here, however long that is, but I have begun letting down some small roots into this new soil.
Way to use a class assignment as a blog entry. I have done that a couple of times myself. Look forward to reading more from you.
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