German Musings

I have been back from my trip to Germany for 2 weeks. It has been harder for me to reacclamate myself to life here than it was adjusting to the time change or the cultural differences I experienced during my 9 days there. I have been reflecting on my trip and am so very thankful for the opportunity I had to go. Some of my favorite things on my trip include reconnecting and spending time with the Foxes, conversations about life with Carol, meeting a young enlisted Air Force member who is going home to Alabama to give a kidney to his sick mom, playing basketball with Nathan, and hearing Carol speak at a MOPS event for Air Force wives.


Is it weird that what I loved most about my time there could have happened anywhere? It wasn't Germany itself, although it is a beautiful country with rich history. It was the relationships and the time spent together that meant the most to me. That is a powerful reminder to me that it's not where you are, but who you are with that matters most. I know it's cliche, but it's living truth.


As I am considering options for a new job or moving to a new place, this hit me hard. I don't want to run away from where I am and leave behind all the people I love. The feelings of being alone and desiring companionship that I feel now may only be augmented if I go somewhere new where I don't know anyone at all. I will still be with me wherever I go, chock-full of my insecurities, pride, fears, doubts, and desires. Life on base at Spangdahlem struck me as very isolated and dim. It was the dead of winter of course, so that's part of it. But the idea I had in my mind was much more glamorized than what it was in reality.


There's much to consider in looking for this change I am seeking. And as much as I feel like I want a change in environment, the change needs to be from the inside out. With expectatation (and some trembling) I am excitedly anticipating what's around the bend after this school year. Whether it be that I bloom where I'm planted or I am uprooted and find myself somewhere new, I know that God is with me wherever I go. And in that I am secure.