the shift from summer to fall is always the most refreshing time of the year to me. after the oppressing texas heat, there is nothing like the first cool front that blows away the intensity of three-digit weather. it's as if i forget the summer ever happened.
thinking about the change in the weather allows me to think back about the changes that took place in me over the summer. on the flip side, just as the intense summer heat has vanished by cold air, i find it hard to believe it even happened.
i think it's safe to say that there was pre-summer bethany, who is drastically different than post-summer bethany. there is only time to be real, so allow me to clear my throat and begin. Jesus began to show me his heart in june 2011. i began to question where i was going and who i was going with. Jesus took me on a whirlwind journey of learning who i am, how to love people like he does, lead, finish school, fall out of romantic love, and develop a stronger sense of my foundation in him. Jesus gives me peace, and no one can strip me of that. my journey from june 2011 to the beginning of this past summer prepared me for what was to come. heartbreak was inevitable, because we're not meant to have to stop loving. freedom was surely to come, because Jesus is always the same, never leaving my side and teaching me to love how he loves. i was surrounded by friends who poured their hearts into me when mine was empty. i left my college abode to room with three of the most precious people i know in the most precious house i've lived in. i learned to forgive the people closest to me. i trusted the holy spirit to show up. (he did of course!) and i started my career. change is such a familiar word to me. i've traded in the days of text books, essays, homework, and exams for a new job in austin, tx. but what i didn't trade was my desire to remain teachable....
i'm reminded of how blessed i am every morning i wake up because even when i left everything i knew... Jesus cared for me. and i'm complete in him. even though the memories i have will forever be in my heart and have shaped the person i am today, i know i'm not limited to them. i will continue to grow in deeper, richer, more fertile soil because Jesus is fun! every day we learn something new, and we change... embrace that change... it will bring you to that moment that i'm basking in right now... looking forward, keeping my eyes on Jesus, i rejoice.
