Follow the green paint.

Where I sat to journal and read... Northern Va isn't so bad after all!

It has been a great past week. And now I am in one of the busiest weeks of my semester. I just have lots of things to get done by deadlines and before Christmas and none of them I can pass off to other people. I am trying to be good with my time, and it will all get done.

Last week I took a day away and went to Great Falls National Park in McLean. It was awesome. No one was there on a Thursday morning. I walked/hiked for about 2 hours and stopped and had time to journal and read my Bible. It was cold, but the right kind of cold. Enough to make me feel it, but still nice enough to be outside.

I went into the day with two things really on my heart... finding leaders for my YL area and my relationship with Josh. I was wanting my questions of timing answered to both of those things... when they would happen, what I was supposed to do, how God would let me know that this was the right way... I want leaders. I think I am ready for club to launch in the Spring. And with Josh we live in 2 different places, but eventually want that to change- so who goes where? So, going into my day away, I was thinking that the Lord would love to reveal the answers to me and it would be great. But, not so much... I was hiking and the river trail that I took was marked by green paint on the tree. So I kept following the green paint if I wanted to know where I was going. And I felt like the Lord was telling me the same thing. "The answer Margaret, is to follow me". This was not what I was planning on hearing. "Right now, I'm not going to give you much more than that..." And you are not going to have green paint every step of the way. I know Jesus is with me, but I will not understand every step and turn or timing, but that's where my faith comes in. This is what I am learning, I will not understand, but I know that He loves us. And then I came along this place marked with red tape saying "danger." And I honestly thought, that is probably for everyone else but I could surely go check it out and be fine... I totally do this in life. I want to have my control and do it my way, but the Lord kept saying... follow the green paint. And I felt loved by Him in that, not abandoned or forgotten because I trust His plans that are waiting to be revealed to me, are better than anything I could craft on my own.

And then I had 3 of my dearest friends from JMU all come visit on the same weekend. We sat on my bed and ate chocolate chips and talked about our long distance relationships, our new jobs, our new roommates. It felt a little bit weird because we could have been sitting in Harrisonburg but we were in Northern Va and were no longer talking about school. I love being with familiar people. It was good. And they are 3 people I can pick right up with after time apart. So thankful for York, Ginny and Anna.

I'm excited for Christmas... for time at home, for an evening with my 3 best friends and our boyfriends. For a friends wedding. For giving presents to my dad and Alina and Josh. For extra naps. For church on Christmas Eve. I can't wait.