Day 1: Travel thoughts

Just before midnight on Monday night I sat down at my computer to begin this blog but just couldn’t do it. I was FREAKING OUT! I was questioning whether or not to even come on this trip, all the while meditating on the scripture “the Lord has not given you a spirit of fear, but of a sound mind…” I walked away without a blog but I slept peacefully with no fear. Now I’m on the plane and the “freaked out” feeling has returned. However, this time I recognize that maybe this isn’t fear at all. It’s excitement. Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m so sad that Jimmy is not here. I miss him so much. However, I am comforted. I discussed my fear of being lonely during this trip with my friend Andrea on Monday. I begged her to please e-mail me everyday because I knew I would be lonely. I was quite serious but she laughed at me! Can you believe that? What kind of friend is she, right? Well, she’s a fantastic friend. She said “Sally, I will e-mail you if you want me to but you know Jesus is with you everywhere you go, if he’s in Arkansas he’ll for sure be there with you in The Holy Land.” I think that is when the knot formed in my stomach. I can only compare it to the I used to get when a cute boy passed me a note in Jr. High… and at times it feels as strong as those butterflies I had in my stomach on my wedding day. The point is, those butterflies aren’t always signs of something bad. I have decided in this case, they are there because I am incredibly aware that I’m embarking on an adventure like I have never known. I’m halfway around the world from my closest friends and family with 16 acquaintances (I call them this because I do know all of their names now). My only well-established friendship here is with Jesus. What has me most excited about this “gut thing” is that I can only compare it to what I have felt while being romanced. This thought makes me so amazingly giddy… could it be that I will be romanced by my Lord during these next few days? I don’t see why not. Could it be that He intends to use these days alone to draw me closer to Him? When I consider how many times He uses our weaknesses to make us strong, it makes perfect sense. So… here I go—Nope, here we go!