Someone (ahem, Kyle) has challenged me to blog once a week. It should seem that this would be easy, but obviously, since I've only blogged once before during this trip, it is strangely difficult for me. It's not that I don't like to process. It's just so overwhelming. I feel that so much happens all the time that I cannot possibly put it all on this blog. (Which is true.) But then I go to the other extreme and NEVER post. Instead, I'm just going to try to just post whatever is going on, realizing that it is impossible to describe everything here but knowing that it is valuable to process in some manner through blogging.
This weekend has been a couple of the best days I've had since coming to Ireland. It's right up there with the church weekend I went on with my church, Greystones Presbyterian Church. And it also largely involves those people. Let's just say I love them dearly.
Getting involved in a church is so very wonderful! I am thankful to my parents and older sister, Jessica, for instilling in me the great value of church involvement. However, it never really became real to me until this year at college. First semester, I committed to Westminster Presbyterian in Muncie and was greatly blessed by the great preaching, the Sunday school class, and perhaps most of all the people who were earnest in their walks with the Lord and fellowship with others in the church. Now, coming to Ireland, I knew that I wanted to choose a church quickly and commit. When I went to the Presby, the church that our professor Monty preaches at, I knew that it was the place for me. The people were so very welcoming! And every Sunday I went, I felt that God was speaking directly to me. So I decided to commit.
I went on their church weekend with them, which was absolutely wonderful. I cannot express how much I learned (about being a part of a church community, no less), how much fun I had, and how much I enjoyed having fellowship with these people.
Anyways, today started with a beautiful morning on the shore of the Irish Sea. It was the warmest, sunniest day yet. Gorgeous. I went to church and enjoyed talking to people there and at tea and coffee afterward. Then, Gueb, Paige, Lexi and I went over to Joyce and Andy Lee's house for lunch. Their house was very picturesque. A quaint house in the middle of rolling green fields, it seemed to be from a storybook. They had two dogs, two chickens, two ducks, a cat, a pig, and sheep with little lambs. We very much enjoyed the meal and interviewed them about their opinions on the Troubles and WWII, which, although they weren't terribly excited about the interview part, went very well. I gleaned a load of knowledge.
We then went to the harbour in Greystones and Andy took us out on the RIB (rigid inflatable boat), which was AWESOME! The sun, the waves, the holding on for dear life; it was glorious.
I was very humbled and honored by their willingness to tote us everywhere with them, to serve us, and to share their lives with us even though we are only going to be here a little longer. I hope that some day I am as hospitable, unassuming, and friendly as they are.
I find it very convicting that they are willing to be so kind to us despite our short time left here. I am so hesitant sometimes to develop relationships that I know aren't going to last, but that isn't the right mindset at all. Instead, I want to invest in people and relationships as much as possible since they might not last long. I don't want to be so caught up in living my life that I miss out on the very purpose of my life: fellowship with God and fellowship with others. I was created for fellowship. This seems to be a theme lesson of my life lately..
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