My road...
Today is June 1st. I finish service on July 13th and fly back to the US on July 25th. It's weird to think that last summer was an entire YEAR ago. I really don't think my brain has caught up with life. So much has changed, I have learned so much - but somehow time seems stagnant, like I've been living with the 'pause' button on.
I'm not sure how this year translates into the rest of my life - was it just 'a step away' from normal life, and come July 25th I'll be going back to my 'real world'? That doesn't seem quite right. I think the connection that isn't quite real in my mind yet is that SPEC and England are a big part of my life - my whole road of life - not just this bit like a pit stop on the way.
This is getting a bit complicated in words - let's try some pictures...
So I'm not the best artist :)
Is SPEC something that will always be a memory - like some random tumbleweed town I've driven through sometime in my past? Or is it a definite event in the road that will affect my course for years to come?
I'm sure it's the latter, but the real understanding of that will probably not show itself until much further down the line - now I'm just trying to live for the present - for what is happening right now and attempting to not think too much about how it will affect me in the future. It's going to weather I like it or not, so for now I think it's about letting it happen and enjoying every minute of the precious time we have left here together.
Prayer of St. Francis
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen
When I'm Lost on the Road
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean that I am
actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please
you does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all
that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this, you
will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death, I will
not fear, for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton
Risk
This is a poem that was used in our training and we also used in the retreat last week. I feel it is very fitting for this adventure.
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your ideas, your dreams,before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The people who risk nothing, do nothing,have nothing, are nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves;
they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
Crisp Flavours.
England has an amazing amount and variety of Crisp (chip) Flavours! Here are a few of my favourites (like the English spelling :) )
Ready Salted
Cheese and Onion
Roast Chicken
Prawn Cocktail
Steak and Onion
Worcester Sauce
These are the normal ones that you'd find in a gas station. Crazy, isn't it?!
English Lingo
- Lorry (Semi-Truck)
- Rubber (eraser)
- Ta (Thank You)
- Cheers (Thank you)
- Skip (dumpster)
- Bin (trash can)
- Drink (Tea)
- Brew (Tea)
- Cupper (Tea)
- Chips (Fries)
- Crisps (Chips)
- Biscuit (cookie)
- Chuft (Proud)
- Lie in (sleep in)
- Rubbish (trash)
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