Eyes of Light: Finding Light in the midst of Darkness: Self-Reflection

“How gracious of God to bring me to such a place” – A journal entry

Coming to Europe, living in England for seven and a half weeks, going to France, Germany, Switzerland and even Scotland, was the last thing I ever thought I’d do at 20 years old.

I had for some odd reason settled with the assumption that my first time overseas would probably be a honeymoon trip.

Yet there I was, single, young and in another country.

Funny.

What God showed me was many things, hard lessons and sweet lessons, conviction and bliss, too many to share, but this one, I feel as if this is the one I should give to you all.

Enjoy.

“Emmanuel” – God with us.

This took on a whole new meaning for me when I found myself on the other side of the world.

In hindsight, I laugh.

I laugh at myself.

I laugh at the fact that I throw fits when plans don’t go my way.

When in reality my plans are….well, for lack of a better word….my plans are lame.

My greatest imagination is mundane in light of the plan of God.

This trip, this summer, was an opportunity so many wish they had, an opportunity that has quite literally changed my life, filling my mind with lesson after lesson about so many things, and the reality?

My human mind couldn’t even perceive it.

So now, I rest a little easier.

In the midst of rejection.

At the sound of a word better left unsaid.

In the pain of uncertainty,

I rest easy.

Because this summer it was all Him.

He brought me there, provided for me, gave me favor, gave me love, gave me hope and allowed me to give the greatest gift of all to others: His love.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this:

My whole life has been a series of ups and downs, yet even so, every single moment was never in vain. Every single thing, when you belong to Christ,

plays a part in what He has in store, in what He has ahead.

When I realized my hands were far too unqualified to hold the pen of my life, my mind far too obtuse to compose such extravagancies, that is when I felt the most beautiful thing: Liberation.

Liberation from the obligation to have it all figured out because in all actuality, if I did, it probably would be….what was that word I used earlier? Oh yes, it would be LAME.

His plans are so much greater, so much sweeter, so much purer, so much better than anything I could ask or imagine, and this summer was the evidence of that truth.

From café ministry to knocking on doors, from leading worship on Sunday to lifting up praise as one voice in a living room, from website building to photography, from seeing people go from darkness to light, from sharing a smile and genuine care, from leaving with the same set of eyes, yet returning with new sight, He has been good.

Because in reality He is good. He is simply, yet so extravagantly good.

– Andrea Young

Ten2 2019 Participant – Birmingham, UK