Why Paul and I would get along well...

Hey friends, I hope you're having a fantastic day, and that fall has been treating you well!!! If you didn't know, I am currently living in Hungary, serving at an international Christian school as the "Spiritual Life" intern! It's been such a blast so far, and I've learned so much in just serving in every way that I can. 

I got to substitute teach for the first time this week; I taught three classes and couldn't have had more fun! It's safe to say that being a teacher is something that I didn't think would ever be an option, but now it's something that I think would be an incredible opportunity. We'll just see what God has in store - maybe there is a Christian school somewhere overseas (maybe even the UK) that God has in my near future :)

As far as living in Hungary itself, oh my word, it's so pretty here! The culture is very similar to Germany in many ways, although you see the effects of communism on the economy even today. Learning the language has been a challenge, but thankfully, I'm living with the greatest Hungarian family, and they've been teaching me a lot!! I can tell the dog to "chill" or "come" - my vocabulary mainly pertains to the dog, Topi, at this point!

So, I'm a wee bit behind in my Bible reading. I'm working on catching up on my plan right now, but I've loved spending time in Paul's letters since getting here. And, for some reason, I feel like Paul and I could have been really great friends. Hear me out - there is something that I've been noticing in his letters that never really stood out to me before, and I think most of it is the phase of life that I'm in, but it could also be that I'm taking a class on how to read the Bible deeper so that's been affecting my reading as well. :)

Here are a few examples of the kinds of verses that have stuck out to me:

• Because we (Paul, Silas, and Timothy) loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well... But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you  - 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 17

• Night and day, we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith. - 1 Thessalonians 3:10

• Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! - Philippians 4:1

• Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. - 2 Timothy 1:4

Oh my lanta! It sure sounds like Paul really misses the churches that he helped to establish; I mean using words like "longing", and "we pray most earnestly that we may see you again," those words have been so incredibly comforting to me lately. And here's why - 

I am so incredibly grateful for the way that the Lord has allowed me to travel all over the world, not just during these past few months, or even these past two years, but genuinely during my entire life. But there have been times when I've mentioned to people, "Yeah, it feels as though my heart is in a bunch of different countries at one time." And many times that's not something that people get, but when reading these verses recently, I thought to myself, "Paul gets it!" But most importantly, "God gets it!"

There are days that I wake up and wish that I was worshiping with my friends that I made in Kenya; there are days that I wish that I could just go for a walk in Northern Ireland or around Cairn Brae with my friends. And then there are moments that I sit on the couch, with my family around me, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. But the beautiful thing is, that's the way that God created me.

God has a way of creating all of us in such incredibly unique ways, that sometimes others won't understand your passions. I mentioned to a friend a few weeks ago that I feel most comfortable when I'm walking around and I can hear people speaking other languages, and she feels the total opposite. I have friends who are passionate about staying in one place for their entire life and pouring everything they have into the community that they have there, and while I still don't really understand that, I know that God has given them that passion for a reason! And it's so beautiful to see them walking in the calling and in the place that God has called them to be. 

So, what am I getting at? One, we have a God who created us so incredibly uniquely, and beautifully, with passions that will be different, but all designed to be used for the Kingdom of God. Two, having your heart in a bunch of different places, missing people and places from all around the world is biblical!! If Paul missed his church friends all over, I think I can too. :) And lastly, if you're still trying to figure out what it is that you're passionate about, the thing that God created you for, keep asking Him. Keep searching, keep trusting, and ask Him daily how you can serve Him and the people around you. 

God only knows what He has planned for you. But I know that while we might not see it in the now, He has been molding us, challenging us, and drawing us nearer to Him while showing us the plans that He has for this short time that we have on earth. 

Anyhoo! I love you guys so dearly! I'm so thankful for the friends that I have from all over who read this blog, and who have been praying for me in all the missions that the Lord has sent me on! Friends in the USA, friends in the UK, friends in Germany, friends in The Czech Republic, and friends in places that I don't even know about. I'm praying that this week especially, that God would continue to show you the plans that He has for you, and that those doors He's been planning for you to open would be so clear that you wouldn't hesitate to walk through them!

Love, Sav :)