In less than twenty days I’ll be losing my coveted teenager title, and it’s something I’m completely dreading. I’ve loved being nineteen more than any other age I’ve experienced. At nineteen I traveled the world, I followed God’s call in my life, and I had a memorable time.
From Spain to France to England to Hawaii to the Congo, I had my fair share of catching flights and receiving passport stamps. There isn’t anything I would trade that could top my experience seeing the world. Now I understand traveling won’t end when nineteen ends- and quite frankly traveling from here is only going to happen more and more- but nineteen was a year of traveling firsts. The first time I flew to Europe, the first time I saw the Eiffel Tower, the first time I explored the streets of London, the first time I lived in Hawaii, the first time I stepped foot on Africa. All firsts that in one way or another, big or small, changed my life. Firsts that I’m infinitely proud of.
Nineteen was also a year where I said yes to God and no to me. I said over and over “God I want more of you!”, and I sought after Him more and more. For a whole summer I invested my life to full time ministry. Ministry is something I would never have seen myself doing, but now I’m here and I’m loving it. I love teaching people about God and playing an active role in the church congregation. In addition to partaking in ministry, I served with all I could give. I served in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I served the ones who had far less then me but loved infinitely more than me. During my three week LoveWorks trip I learned how to worship, how to love, and how to be happy. I’m proud I spent nineteen serving God.
It has been a memorable year to say the least. A year I’m proud of. A year I want to brag about. A year I would relive over and over again. In less than twenty days I turn twenty, and I’m don’t quite know how I feel about that.