What was I thinking?
This is a question I've asked myself many, many times the past two months. And not in a condemning, 'you're an idiot' sort of way (okay, maybe once or twice), but in an incredulous 'this never should have worked, why did you even try' sort of way. Thankfully it did work, and so I've spent the last two months in San Diego California, living with people who were complete strangers and something crazy and new pretty much everyday.
Let me back up and start from the beginning.
Somewhere in the middle of my Spring semester I realized that I needed to do my internship this summer, and that I should probably start looking into that. I started to think of some likely churches where I knew people, or at least knew people who knew people. Then I remembered that my bestest friend Greta had been suggesting that I visit her in San Diego some time. 'Well, there are churches in San Diego,' I thought. So I googled some random San Diego churches and sent out some emails to their worship pastors as well as to the local Ohio churches where I was pretty sure I would have an instant in. I thought I might as well give it a go, no harm in sending an email, and figured nothing would come of it. Well to make a long story short, the churches where I knew people or knew people who knew people didn't seem to have a place for me like I thought they would, and one of the most promising and immediate responses I received came from a church out in San Diego. It was at this point that I figured I should probably check with my parents to see how they felt about me spending a summer in San Diego. Just in case. Again, long story short, after several emails, some phone calls and 'what the heck, why not'-ings, I submitted Elevate Church as the church I was doing my internship at to my adviser at school. Now to be honest, I still wasn't all that convinced that it was going to work out. There was a little place in the back of my mind where I started to form my back up plan. I knew a grand total of one person in San Diego, I didn't have a job there, didn't know where I was going to live and I wasn't sure how I was going to get around yet either. But time had run out, I needed to submit my paperwork, and so Elevate it was.
School ended. Summer started. I sent out support letters, housing was established. I still only knew one person, I really didn't know much about the church, and still wasn't sure how I was getting around once I got to San Diego. Thank God that my father loves me and was willing to work out this particular detail for me.
This part of the story isn't really mine, but its a great story and an important part of me being here. Dad was looking into car options--driving out, renting when I get here, buying, etc. Finally he decided to look into something that was probably a long shot, but that he felt like God was nudging him to do. He messaged a friend who'd served as a pastor in San Diego years ago, to see if he had any contacts in the area who may have had a car to spare. In about 10 minutes he had a reply. The rest is history (very recent history, but the saying still applies). Dad's friend still knew a pastor who lives out in San Diego, who bought a new car and hadn't been able to sell his old one yet. It's a stick-shift (good thing I know how to drive stick!) and it also may or may not be a 2002 Camaro. =) The best part is that I have been able to use it free of charge!
So that's the simple version of the story.
I got here June 3rd, I leave July 31st. Its been an amazing two months and I am very much aware of the fact that the only reason I am here is because God is a great God who knows so much more then I do and works in crazy ways when we're willing to just trust Him and go for it. I'm sure I could have found an internship close to home. It would have been much less stressful, more comfortable I'm sure. I wouldn't have had to deal with home sicknesses or traffic. And while I may have learned much, I probably wouldn't have grown much. And I wouldn't have gotten to spend my summer in San Diego, which is just awesome in and of itself. I've had crazy fun times, great opportunities, met some great, Godly people, made new friends. But I have continually asked myself 'What were you thinking?' because there is no way I should ever have been able to do any of those things without God making a way for me, determining every detail, and working in the lives and hearts of people who didn't know me or anything about me so that I could come work with this great church and learn a whole lot and grow in many different ways that never would have been possible any other way.
Let me back up and start from the beginning.
Somewhere in the middle of my Spring semester I realized that I needed to do my internship this summer, and that I should probably start looking into that. I started to think of some likely churches where I knew people, or at least knew people who knew people. Then I remembered that my bestest friend Greta had been suggesting that I visit her in San Diego some time. 'Well, there are churches in San Diego,' I thought. So I googled some random San Diego churches and sent out some emails to their worship pastors as well as to the local Ohio churches where I was pretty sure I would have an instant in. I thought I might as well give it a go, no harm in sending an email, and figured nothing would come of it. Well to make a long story short, the churches where I knew people or knew people who knew people didn't seem to have a place for me like I thought they would, and one of the most promising and immediate responses I received came from a church out in San Diego. It was at this point that I figured I should probably check with my parents to see how they felt about me spending a summer in San Diego. Just in case. Again, long story short, after several emails, some phone calls and 'what the heck, why not'-ings, I submitted Elevate Church as the church I was doing my internship at to my adviser at school. Now to be honest, I still wasn't all that convinced that it was going to work out. There was a little place in the back of my mind where I started to form my back up plan. I knew a grand total of one person in San Diego, I didn't have a job there, didn't know where I was going to live and I wasn't sure how I was going to get around yet either. But time had run out, I needed to submit my paperwork, and so Elevate it was.
School ended. Summer started. I sent out support letters, housing was established. I still only knew one person, I really didn't know much about the church, and still wasn't sure how I was getting around once I got to San Diego. Thank God that my father loves me and was willing to work out this particular detail for me.
This part of the story isn't really mine, but its a great story and an important part of me being here. Dad was looking into car options--driving out, renting when I get here, buying, etc. Finally he decided to look into something that was probably a long shot, but that he felt like God was nudging him to do. He messaged a friend who'd served as a pastor in San Diego years ago, to see if he had any contacts in the area who may have had a car to spare. In about 10 minutes he had a reply. The rest is history (very recent history, but the saying still applies). Dad's friend still knew a pastor who lives out in San Diego, who bought a new car and hadn't been able to sell his old one yet. It's a stick-shift (good thing I know how to drive stick!) and it also may or may not be a 2002 Camaro. =) The best part is that I have been able to use it free of charge!
So that's the simple version of the story.
I got here June 3rd, I leave July 31st. Its been an amazing two months and I am very much aware of the fact that the only reason I am here is because God is a great God who knows so much more then I do and works in crazy ways when we're willing to just trust Him and go for it. I'm sure I could have found an internship close to home. It would have been much less stressful, more comfortable I'm sure. I wouldn't have had to deal with home sicknesses or traffic. And while I may have learned much, I probably wouldn't have grown much. And I wouldn't have gotten to spend my summer in San Diego, which is just awesome in and of itself. I've had crazy fun times, great opportunities, met some great, Godly people, made new friends. But I have continually asked myself 'What were you thinking?' because there is no way I should ever have been able to do any of those things without God making a way for me, determining every detail, and working in the lives and hearts of people who didn't know me or anything about me so that I could come work with this great church and learn a whole lot and grow in many different ways that never would have been possible any other way.
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