Day #26

Today was a day of rest and relaxation. For the first time since I've been in South Africa I had the opportunity to just hang around, watch some movies and even NAP! I have a pretty horrible sounding cough, a snotty nose and the works so it was good to just be able to rest today.

However, in the midst of my calm afternoon, I had quite a bit of down time to just think. Not only did I think about my trip and what I had learned/experienced thus far, I thought about a number of things pertaining to back home.

Now before you start freaking out, this is not a home sick blog.

In the process of thinking about back home, I of course thought about my family and friends that I miss but also about my future and the worries I have about school, future job, etc. As I sat on my bed, I thought about what life would be like when I returned to the real world; the world of working and school. I pondered my frustration of not finding the right Godly guy yet. I also thought about how successful I will be in my future career... and if I would ever even make it to my dream career to begin with.

As I thought about these things I begin to worry and stress. Then, as I dropped my head in despair and frustration of the unknown, I looked down at the red Southampton Indian sweatshirt I was wearing. I immediately knew what to do. You see, the sweatshirt I was wearing once belonged to my Uncle Bobby.

For those of you who do not know, I had an extraordinary man as my uncle. He was a Godly man who lived his life with humility and a burning passion to advance God's kingdom. He was humble, funny, wise, and just an overall joy to be around. He inspired me more than any other person I have ever met and he was one of those people that gives you the desire to be better. He meant more to me than he will ever be able to understand and unfortunately he lost his battle with pancreatic cancer before I got the chance to tell him. What I wouldn't give to just have him around one more day to confide in him, tell him what's new and explain to him how much he has impacted me and given me the desire to partake in mission work.

In my reminiscing of Uncle Bobby I was reminded of one of the verses that he fearlessly lived by.
Philippians 4:6
"Don't worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for what he has done."

I hear you loud and clear, Uncle Bobby. Thanks for the reminder.

You see, I might not know exactly where my future is headed, who I'm going to marry, or even how much I will make in my career. BUT because God will be with me each step of the way, I have not a single thing to worry or stress about. I will live each day in the present and leave the planning to God. Sometimes, no matter how much it kills me, I have to accept that I am not in control and just thank him for whatever the outcome may be. So God, I'm giving you the pen... you write my future. I'm sure it'll be a much better story than I could ever create.

xoxo
Taylor