Back to the Real World

I find it amazing how quickly time flies. I find that each year seems to go by faster than the one before it. It feels as if I was just hired in my other school district, and here I am beginning life in my new one. It seems as if the past ten years flew by in many ways. In other ways, it kind of felt like forever...

I find that Summer is pretty much over for me, as I am now working in my classroom a little bit each day and have workshops everyday this week. I am excited, and am looking forward to what God has in store for me here.

At the same time, I'm a bit saddened. I was thinking today about how I won't say "Good Morning, my tall friend!" to one of my favorite teacher friends in my previous school. I know I'm where God wants me, it was just something I was thinking about today.

My prayer is that what I have gained this past week at camp really will carry over into my life...in every area of my life. I saw a glimpse of God's love out at camp, and honestly it was a bit of what I think Heaven is like. Watching those CIA's with those kids...and well, experiencing those kids in my own life, I gain a new perspective each time I go out there.

Love is the point of life this side of heaven. I already knew that before I went to camp.

While at camp, I saw a quote that said, "Love like you've never been hurt."

I liked that.

Then I saw an even better one that I have to paraphrase because I didn't write it down...

Love until it hurts, and then love some more.

In the real world, that's the point. We've all loved, we've all been hurt, and the point is to keep loving anyway.

I think about the last chapter of my life and how I loved until it hurt, and I kept loving and got hurt over and over again. And in that, I believe God is pleased with me for continuing to love, even when it hurt. I have caught myself guarded with some people because I don't want to get hurt again. Then when I read that quote, it hit me, life's too short to be guarded. Life's too short to not love with abandonment. Whether that be with a kid, or a spouse, or whatever, we're to love to the best of our ability, even when it hurts, and then love some more.

I use the phrase in my living room, "Live, Laugh, Love." I've got it up in a couple different places.

And while that will continue to be my main theme here in the real world, I think my new theme will be, "Love until it hurts and then love some more."

I like that.

Life.
Is.
Good.