...but God

I think my post this evening is more for me than anyone else. I find myself sitting here in need of a little catharsis. The past couple days have been quite a bit to take in. It seems as though the very moment I began to enjoy myself, Satan tried to step in and knock me down. If you know me, you probably already know that I personally am not very fond of cliches, especially those involving my faith. However after racking my brain for a considerable period of time, I'm not sure I can find any other way to put it. It is said that Satan's purpose in life is to steal, kill and destroy and it has been my experience in this journey thus far that he tries very hard at what he does....but God. As hard as people try, I don't think anyone can truly prepare you for an experience such as this. and before I get too far into it, I would like to interject and simply state that I am beyond grateful for all that comes with this experience both negative and positive. It is truly an adventure, however difficult in all its rewards. This week has been incredibly stressful. Being cooped up in a small, uncomfortable living space with people you may or may not get along with, an inconceivable amount of business to take care of with the highest hopes that the language barrier wont be so strong as to inhibit your ability to do either on top of being in an entirely new place (where you are an obvious outsider) in which you know virtually nothing and no one can prove difficult to even the strongest person (if that makes any sense at all). To put it simply, CRAPS HARD ! But with the love and support of my family and friends back home I was able to keep my head up and keep the tears from falling but Satan didn't stop. Yesterday afternoon I went to the mall with a new friend and bought a wonderful new purse. I'm not sure why but somehow this purse managed to elate me more than anything I'd seen since I'd been in this country. And things had begun to look up until about 10 minutes later when I realized that my wallet had been stolen. As i'm sure you can imagine there was no stopping the tears at that point. They were pretty determined to escape lol I have to admit that for some moments a great deal of both my strength and positive outlook had escaped as well...but God. I was so fortunate in that I was able to get in contact with my parents relatively quickly and they calmed me down and reassured me that all would be okay and thus far it has been. I woke up determined to keep a positive outlook today regardless of how badly I longed for a hug from my parents. I told myself that I would get up and do what it takes to make it through the day. I'm not sure about other students' experiences abroad but mine thus far has definitely been unforgettable. Even though its only been a week, I've already learned so much about myself and those around me. And even though they're hard lessons to learn, they're necessities and what better place to learn them in. So what have I learned you might ask?

1. Patience is the virtue of all virtues however it can only be topped by faith (or hope if you're not particularly religious) Without faith, there is nothing to keep you.
2. People won't always look out for you, even if you consistently look out for them. Unfortunately its a fact of life. When it comes to selfish people, it is incredibly important to find the balance between Christian generosity and stupidity. Know when to put yourself first
3. People won't always understand where you're coming from and with an experience like this, without being here, who could expect them to so its important to be patient with your loved ones as well.
4. Take your journey (whether its your life, a semester abroad, or your walk with Christ) a day at a time. That's the only way you'll make it.
5. Don't hold on to negativity. I'm actually kind of learning that as we speak (or as I type rather). Negativity does nothing but hold you down and keep you from your accomplishments- no one else's.
6. Kind of a weird number to end on but it is by far the most important. "but God." For those of you who don't know, I am a Christian first, an English major second and I'm gonna get a little "teachy/preachy" with my next statement but I would like to introduce to you what I feel is the most important introductory clause known to man.
"But God" For those that are unaware an introductory clause is defined as the following: (n) dependent clauses that provide background information or "set the stage" for the main part of the sentence. Now simply apply that definition to the above phrase. It is dependent, meaning without it the rest of the sentence is not whole. If something negative is going on, clearly things are unfinished because I have yet to witness anything negative in my life come from my Lord and Savior. And secondly, it sets that stage for the main part of the sentence, which is the wonderful success and joy that God has in store for those that love Him. My analogy may be cheesy but it is one that has given me strength in a time where I've so desperately needed it.  


I know i've said a lot but as I stated before, this post I wrote specifically for myself and no one else. I had a lot of thoughts running through my head and I felt it important to get them down. My goal is to get through the next 6 months one day at a time, taking in every joy and every lesson that He has in store for me and returning a more complete and fulfilled person than when I came. I thank you guys for reading and supporting me as I go through this and I hope that you will continue to do so the remainder of the time that I am here. 


- Dominique