And So It Had To End

You can’t top the time of your life.
I just had mine.

So, this is what it feels like to leave. I miss it. I certainly do. But something I realized on the plane home was that I had my time there, and now it’s time somewhere else.
To sum up the general idea of what has happened, I’ll give you a note I wrote on the way home:

Life changing. Inspiring. Difficult. Amazing. Breathtaking. Challenging. Different. Testing. Moving. Interesting. Incredible.

…but that’s the way it always is, isn’t it?


I just got home from Ireland, where I spent my first semester of my freshman year at Taylor University. It was all of the above and more. And so much more… I learned. I grew. I was challenged, pushed, asked to change, asked to be open. I was shaken, torn apart, shattered broken. I was healed, renewed, fixed, transformed. They were the best of times, every moment. And I’ve come to realize, it’s not the location that matters the most; it is the people you are with. It is the laughter you share, the tears you catch, the hug you give, the smile you show. It is not what you say, but how you say it. Life isn’t measured in the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away. If that saying is true, my life has been measured vastly.

I cannot sum up all that has happened in the last 3 months, nor will I pretend to be the same person who left. You can ask about Ireland, and I will tell you…it was wonderful, beautiful, stunning. You can ask about what I did…hikes, DART rides, museums, castles, abbeys, etc. You can ask what I loved the most, and I won’t have an answer.

But the one question you can ask that has been most pertinent to my experience there would be “what have you learned”? I was actually studying there, so I can rattle off Gothic and Romanesque architecture terms and features. I could tell you about early Irish settlers, or about Irish painters in the nineteenth centaury. I can tell you something significant about every county in Ireland, or the history of the 1916 Easter Rising. I could tell you about heroes, villains, leaders, and tragic love stories. I could tell you about the Belfast Agreement and the events that shook Ireland during the 80’s and 90’s. I could name every major historical event. I could tell you about the last High King of Ireland or the current president.

I could, but I won’t.

Instead, I would tell you that I saw God in every rainbow He painted for me. I heard Him in every crashing wave. I touched Him on every hike. I listened to Him in every cool night breeze. I felt Him when I conquered every fear. I found Him on every corner, in every city. I saw Him in every person I met, and a few times, I hugged Him. I heard Him laugh and saw Him cry. I watched Him create a new day, every day. I stood back, amazed.

I’ve gone everywhere. I’ve seen everything. However, it seems to me that the more I learn, the less I know.

I could list off the hundreds of places I went and the countless people I met, but I’ll leave that one to the photos. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words.

All the same, my prayer would be that I would never stop searching, cease looking, or quit seeking Him. I pray for the strength to fight the battle, the forte to forgive, and the courage to love. I ask for the patience of the sun, the steadiness of the oak tree, and the passion of the ocean. I pray I would find Him in every corner, in every city. I pray I would change, always. Change is inevitable, but growth is optional.

“Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words”-St. Francis of Assisi

Since man is made in the image of God, I’ve learned to seek Him in every person I meet. I have learned about His redeeming grace. I have learned that every time I describe God, I put Him into a box. I have learned that He asks me to have a spirit of courage, and not of fear. I have learned that every person has a story, and that it is just waiting to be told-maybe to me. I have learned how to listen, because most people won’t. I’ve learned to love people the world finds unlovable. I have learned to change.

“You are the face that changed the whole world
No one too lost for you to love
No one too low for you to serve
So give us the grace to change the world
No one too lost for me to love
No one too low for me to serve”

It was a semester I’ll never forget, nor one that I’ll live again. But it was one that helped shape me into who I am now and who I am going to be. It was one that God used to teach me and lead me. The people He brought into my life, the lectures I heard, the chapel times, praise and worship on the beach, and rainbows witnessed were all set in motion by His hands, and for that, I am truly grateful.