family ties

this weekend i got to get away. i needed to get away from my busy life and just have the opportunity to slow down and find myself. i needed time to see what the Lord has done in my own life. i think alot of times we get so caught up in the rush of our lives and we forget to slow down and take care of ourselves. also it was homecoming weekend in Blacksburg so i took the opportunity to get as far as i could away from that. hahahaha homecoming isnt really my thing i would much rather be spending my time in the mountains, in a little town called Independence. so i got in my car friday after school and headed to Independence.

Independence is a little town that only has two stop lights, it used to only have one but in the past five years have put in another one. i love it here. i love small towns and the culture that lies in the people. i love sitting in a resturaunt with my family and everyone that walks in knows you. i love how a brief hello turns into a ten min conversation of how your week has gone. my mom grew up here so most of the time i am introduced as Marquetta's oldest daughter and then that proceeds to awww i remember when you were this big. (indecating the last time they saw me i was the size of an umpa loompa) i keep starting sentences with i love. but i really cant even resist because my heart literally has fallen in love with small little town and longs to be a part of it.

i see Christ in this town so much. i see how people genuinely care about the individual, and i see how they see the importance of family. i see Christ moving in the deepest most inner parts of people here. wheather or not they believe, Christ is so evident and reminds me how no matter where we are in our walks with Christ He is with us always. Here there is no concept of time. There is no "were going to be late" and no "hurry up" its all at everyones own convinence.

here everyone is family.  which has taught me so much of what the body of Christ looks like. recently i have been reading "Kings Cross" by Tim Keller. he says "to gorify others means to unconditionally serve them, not because we're getting anything out of it, just because of our love and appreciation for who they truly are." i know i forget this almost everyday. serving becomes such a chore, and i forget that i am not serving a stranger, but someone who is part of my family in Christ. i am not serving them just because they are lost. but because of how Christ has chosen every single one of us to be a part of the HUGE family. this family does not just consist of our friends and our relatives, but people we have never met. people that are of different ethnicities, and different cultures. they live on different continents, and in different countries. when i look at the people around me i shouldnt see a stranger, but a brother, or a sister.

but even though Independence is a wonderful small town there is still hardship here. people still struggle with what everyone else in the world struggles with. people here are still lost. they are still searching for something that will give them life. and i pray for them. i pray my heart out that they will eventually see the Lord. i pray for the kids that go to school here, i pray that they know that there is a huge world out there waiting for them. i pray that one day they will see the love here in this town, that they will remember how one person took the time out of there day to see how they were doing, and know that it was Christ.

my heart has been renewed this weekend. Christ reminded me of how much i love showing people how much He cares for them, and how much He loves them. i was reminded of how i am called to serve my brothers and sisters back in Blacksburg. and yes it is hard. and somedays i am over whelmed with how my heart breaks for my friends. but our God is an awesome God and He is walking with us every single day at our own pace. and He loves us so much and cannot wait for us to come home to Him.