Reflection

Two more summer interns left today. They are all almost gone and soon it will only be the year longs left. I helped them pack and clean up this morning before they drove away. The past couple of weeks have been filled with similar good byes as people trickle out of the Ranch and make their way back to school or home. It is hard to say good bye but I know that I will see most of them again as I plan on moving to the Portland area once my internship is over.

I, myself, have been slowly packing away my belongings. It's a strange feeling because I've lived, worked, served, and worshiped in this place and with these people for a entire year and soon all of this will be gone and I will be out in the world again trying to figure out how to recreate this type of community out there. The weather has been a major trigger for reflecting on the year. It is beginning to feel like fall again and reminding me of when I first arrived at this place. I was so scared and uncertain about what the internship would look like. I was nervous about meeting new people. I had walls. But I was open to change, I was open to the Lord and what he had for me. The winter was cold and dark both physically and relationally within the group of interns. A lot of fighting and conflict arose within me that I had to work through. I battled the past and the burdens I carried. Then the spring came. My walls began to break down and new life arose as the excitement of the summer grew near. Summer interns moved in and breathed new life into our group and we all fell into our leadership roles with summer staff and work crew. The change that I fought so hard for in the winter time came to a peak during the summer season. The change was complete, for now. I will never be done with changing into the image of Christ but for this season in life the work and changing that needed to happen did. And then the summer ended and now I find myself at the end reflecting on the beginning.

This year has been different than what I was expecting but not all in a bad way. The change that occurred in me was good. The relationships that were built was good. The experiences and opportunities I had were good. For these things I thank the Lord. It has been a wild ride and an epic adventure and the Lord's grace and love can been seen threaded through all the trials and victories I experienced. Thank you to all of you who supported me this year. Your financial gifts, prayers, thoughts, love, encouragements, and time have been an amazing blessing to me this year. And as I prepare for the next adventure the Lord has for me, I pause to reflect on the one that has just occurred. Thank you. E.