The law of harvest: we reap what we sow

'I believe that the goodness of any event can be squeezed out by God to teach me more about the beauty of life and my relationship with him because I am looking for Him to do it.'

-Mr. Dickinson(wise middle school teacher)in response to Romans 8:28

Optimism has been resurfacing in my life.

In seventh grade, some friends and I wrote these speeches that had to begin with "to me, optimism is..." After that speech contest, it become something very central who I was- to myself and I think to other people (though you are free to disagree).

I feel the anxieties and paranoias of the "teenage years" and all my first world problems swallowed up the optimism I once exhibited. 

Yet when I had to say goodbye to a good friend before leaving for Spain, I had a moment of optimism. He said "it's going to be like eight months" and I responded, "you know, that's just a little over half a year...and only a couple months more than it would've been had I decided to stay".

This probably seems like such a normal response, and sure, it wasn't something super different from what I would've answered- still it reminded me of that hope that I had found in optimism and seeing good instead of bad. So simple. 

Here, I've been told, I'll be stripped of my identity as I adjust to Spanish life and change, according to all that I am learning and experiencing. But I know that as this happens, still I will have the Lord. I don't know if this is optimism really, but I thought it kind of went together.

~Also, on that note, forgive me if any of these thoughts don't really follow each other. I'm sitting with my Spanish family and it's hard to concentrate in English with a movie in Spanish and them speaking to me every couple minutes in Spanish!~

One of the orientation leaders said "when language stops working, you can't communicate, and then you can't project who you are, and you begin to lose your image". (attempted translation)

I think most students were falling asleep during that presentation but I was the nerd taking notes. All that she was saying reminded me of the Lord and the great contrast between what we experience here and His character:

'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.' Hebrews 13

How different this world and people are! Everything is changing for me: language, friends, even family (I mean, my family is still my family but I have a new family for the semester). Some things about myself are changing too. A small example: I am so much quieter here. Maybe that's because it's a little humiliating when you speak and don't make sense, especially with people behind counters.

Also when it takes you 15 minutes to figure out how to turn on the shower.

Also when you are so sure of what you're saying and then it means something totally different, like the words "hunt" and "marry" are SO similar..

So here's to sowing hope and reaping hope. Sowing peace and reaping peace. Sowing love and reaping love. Sounds cheesy right? 

Sounded cooler in Spanish, but to quote another orientation leader:

"Enjoy this place inside of love. This is one thing that unifies us instead of separating us."