As the journey started. One thing you have to know about these guys is that half are from New Zealand and half are from America. This called for a wonderful game of questions. We all got to know each other, we laughed, we played our favorite bands and listened to John Mayer for a bit. At some point someone said "whats a road trip without singing along to John Mayer, ey?" As we got into Birmingham-- the guys wanted to stop for coffee. I wasn't really expecting much but a little coffee shop, kind of like Starbucks, what I got blew my mind. It was clean and crisp, if you can even use those words while describing a coffee shop. It had a garage door that was open allowing the fall breeze to fill the coffee shop. It was like you were literally walking into fall.
As our adventure continued there was more getting to know one another, taking pictures of the sunset and a ladies bathroom that had a blanket instead of a door. We arrived in Nashville and had already been invited to their plans for the night-- not sure what our plans were we dropped them off at their place and headed downtown. We both had friends that lived in Nashville, both of which we'd met while on our trips to Africa. We knew that we wanted to see them, but we had no clue where to go. So, we parked the car in a sketchy parking garage paid $5 and started walking towards downtown. We walked for a bit and got to Broadway St.--(this was an adventure within itself) to wait for her friend to pick us up. It was like a movie moment, if you will, we sat on the steps of the Ryman while we waited for the red Jetta to pick us up. The car pulled up in front of the curb and we jumped in. Instantly, I knew this girl and I were kindred spirits. Her car was messy and smelled like a crayon. Her leather jacket and country music was everything opposite of what I expected. She was powerful, you could tell that just by how she greeted the two of us. As we started to get to know one another I learned that she graduated in Social Justice, was currently a nanny and is picking up photography. Her husband was a musician and has a job that brings hope to people in dark places. We drove to midtown where my friend Lindsay, who I wrote about when she visited here recently, met us for dinner. We grabbed a table and talked about how we all knew each other. Kasee and Lindsay talked about babies (because they are both baby nurses) while Candice and I talked about non-profits. We all talked about boys, bands, and our spontaneous trip.
We decided to stay at Lindsay's house that night and leave early the next morning. Sweet Lindsay took us to the bridge that overlooks the river and the city. We talked about Jesus and how much He showed us His love that random day. We got to Lindsay's house to get the 'grand' tour and then we slept. The next morning, the sunlight shined through the big bay windows and I sat at the bar with two dear friends, coffee and cinnamon rolls. We prayed and then we were on our way home.
The trip home was quiet at first while we processed what all happened in the past 24 hours. Big things and little things. Things like being patted on the back while walking down Broadway, by a stranger. Things like a man walking up randomly to us and saying "you ladies are doing great", A girl driving by -- making a duck face and me waving at her (like an overly excited 4 year old) while shouting I like your bravery. Meeting new friends and seeing old friends. Then we talked about life, we got to know one another better. We shared secrets and laughed about our past. We started talking about past relationships and we drew out where we would be if we were still with them. We thanked Jesus and realize that His timing is perfect in everything.
While we were gone, Kasee didn't have one headache. Kasee got to tell more people her story and got so many more prayers. It's wild to think that if we didn't let Jesus take control of our lives, that trip to Nashville wouldn't have happened. We wouldn't know each other and our lives would be completely different. Its funny what you learn about yourself when you take yourself away from the messy world around you, for just a bit.
I learned that I have more potential then I give myself. I learned that I thrive off of a city. I learned that I also appreciate the country. I learned that I cannot fix things-- but I can be there for people. I learned that I am not afraid to meet a new person. I learned that I am only 22 and I have my entire life ahead of me. I am not perfect. I do not own a planner and I changed my major this past week, I think. I will make mistakes and you will read about them throughout the next few years. As someone said this weekend "you only life once" --
enjoy it. love people. and show Jesus to everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment