I went surfing in Australia today. No big deal. And just in case you were wondering, it is far more difficult and less glamorous than it looks. It was exhausting and terrifying and my lungs are filled with salt water, but it was so awesome! I didn’t actually get up, but I got dang close, and I consider that a success, gosh darn it. Especially since there really was no hope for me. Surfing is hard! Feast your eyes on these legit pics.
Surfing has been at the top of my list of things I have to do before I leave Australia. And now, it’s done. And I leave in three days. It still hasn’t hit me. I can’t comprehend the fact that I will be home this week. And as soon as it does process through my brain, I am going to be a wreck. A straight up sobbing mess. I have made so many amazing relationships here in Newcastle, and I have invested so much of myself into these past two months. And even though I’m leaving and I don’t know when or how or if I’ll be back, none of it has been a waste. I really do believe that I will come back to Newcastle at some point in my life, and I really do believe that I will keep in touch with my closest friends here, and I will see them again. But let’s be honest – Wednesday will be the last time I see and talk to some of these people ever again, as depressing as that sounds. But there is something so special about learning about people’s stories, even if it’s just a few little pieces of the puzzle. There’s something so special about sharing in fellowship with other Christians, other children of God, other people. It blows my mind that God has made each and every one of us on this entire planet, and he knows every single moment of every single story. Meeting people, learning about their lives, their cultures, their faith…it’s all worth it, whether I see them again or not.
I don’t feel like this amazing experience is coming to an end, and I think that’s because in reality, it’s not. I will be back in Michigan this week, but this adventure with God that I have embarked upon has only just begun. God continues to open doors in my life for amazing opportunities and makes them happen no matter how impossible they seem. There is nothing stopping me from travelling the world and doing amazing things for God’s glory. My brother just got this verse tattooed on his back, and it couldn’t be truer!
My experience with YWAM has opened my eyes to the miracles God works every day. There are thousands of young people around the globe that have been able to travel the world as missionaries with no money and a whole lot of faith. So why limit my life? Why set boundaries? Why put God in a box? Life is a story, and I want to make mine worth hearing. I want to make mine worth living. I want to make mine a testament to God’s faithfulness.
Every story must come to an end…but lucky for me, mine has only just begun.
-(The one and only) Ray
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