I noticed it has been a pretty long time since I have written a blog post, so I thought I would share some of the things that are going on in my life lately, and what I have been learning through them.
1. Waterloo is Wonderful.
This is the timeline of me moving to a new place: first, I feel homesick and miss whatever context I just came from. Then, I start to notice the uniqueness and beauty of the place where I am. Finally, I am content. Waterloo has wooed me, and I am content. I am still SUPER excited to be going home this summer (!!) but there are things in this town that I have not been able to find anywhere else, things that give it character.
I love the way the sun shines on the snowy sidewalks, I love that there is all-you-can-eat sushi, and that we are so close to Mennonite country that there is a paddock in the parking lot at Sobey's. I love shawarma. I love that there was an African festival in Kitchener, and I love the folks I meet every single week as I help give them an emergency food supply. It is not like any of the cities or towns I have lived in before, and that's ok and that's wonderful. Kitchener-Waterloo is such a special place!
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| Parking lot at Sobey's |
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| WE LOVE SUSHI |
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| At the African festival, where we learned a traditional coming-of-age dance |
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| Our first time trying shawarma! |
2. Living generously.
This past week, my Mom was losing a lot of her hair from chemo treatments and such and so she shaved it altogether. This reminded me that the reason I was growing my hair so long was because I wanted to donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. So I made an appointment at the hairstylist to chop off approximately ten inches of my hair, in solidarity with my Mom and to support other cancer patients.
Honestly, I suspected God was going to teach me something from this experience. I expected He would teach me something about letting go or maybe that physical beauty is not as important as inner character. But those lessons are not what I learned from my drastic cut. Actually, I learned something really valuable about living a generous life.
The truth is, I was not worried about cutting off all that hair. Why? Because hair grows back. The same is true for giving blood. We are free about giving blood because we know our body naturally reproduces it. God alerted me to the fact that I was not afraid of giving things like hair or blood because I know from experience that it comes back. I can trust my head to continue to grow hair, and I can trust my heart to continue to pump blood. I felt like God was telling me that this is how I should think of everything I give. Whether it is money, time, or another resource that I think is finite, it is OK to give it away. It's like hair, God is saying: "even when you give it away, I provide growth." I am not saying that if you give away money, God will reward you with more. What I am saying is that you should not be afraid of sacrificing a lot of time or money because of fears of not having enough. God will always provide! This just changed my thinking on living generously: to live a truly generous life, you need to trust God that he will continue to provide.
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| From this... |
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| ...To this |
3. Books that have influenced me lately
Books have always been a joy in my life, and one of the best things about being in graduate school is that I get to read a ton of books. To be honest, some of the books I am reading are novels that I am just reading for fun. I am including some excerpts from books that have had an influence on me. I would highly recommend each of these books!
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It is very rare that one can find a book written from the Christian worldview that is actually well-crafted. This tender novel is one such book and is a new favourite I think!
Here's a quote:
"And why do I worry so much over this Jack Boughton? Love is holy because it is like grace-- the worthiness of the object is never really what matters."
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry. This was another for-fun read, but in fact it affected me a lot. Friends, just do yourself a favour and read some Wendell Berry. He has written a lot of essays but honestly, a good story, like the one in Jayber Crow, does much more to change my mind than just an essay. Here's something from the book:
"You have been given questions to which you cannot be given answers. You will have to live them out - perhaps a little at a time.'
'And how long is that going to take?'
'I don't know. As long as you live, perhaps.'
'That could be a long time.'
'I will tell you a further mystery,' he said. 'It may take longer"
Plato's Revenge: Politics in the Age of Ecology by William Ophuls. This I actually had to read for a class. I don't agree with everything the author says but the general idea that humans need to more humble (because otherwise we will destroy our planet!) is right on. And it is so refreshing to come across an author who challenges the liberal modern capitalist viewpoint.
Here's some ideas from the book:
"Neither ideology nor self-indulgence can satisfy the spiritual needs of human beings or make them truly happy, and both tend toward destruction. "
The Bible. Always.
What has God been teaching you, friends? Good news for you East Coasters, I will be traveling home soon. And if you live anywhere in between Waterloo and Nova Scotia, I would love to visit you on the way!
