I am so blessed. I am without excuse, and in no way shape or form can I say that I am not blessed, because I am, infinitely. God is so good to me. Over the weekend, I went with the on-campus chapel to Slough. While there, my study abroad group was scheduled to meet at Windsor Castle for a tour, which I was able to take a detour to for the Saturday and just have a blast. I mention this because, for one, it is what all of my pictures below are from. However, if you look at the pictures, you can see with perfect evidence that I am blessed. God showed me His beauty so much this weekend!
It was a beautiful, clear, cool, sunny day in Windsor, and I was blown away all the way to the climax of the flaming sky before the sun made its final descent. I hope you don't mind a ton of pictures, because I took a ton and uploaded half a ton. It was such a great time.
The entire weekend was really amazing. The friends that I was able to fellowship with were so wonderful and good to me. Though for the first time I was homesick on Friday night, the rest of the weekend I was completely at peace with the family around me. When Saturday came around, God just held me tight and showed me His glory, both in the sunset, loud song in the chapel, and quiet prayer at the pew. I am so thankful for His grace and mercy.
Now Dreamer, change of topic, but I have a thought and a quote. Think of it however you may, but I like it. While in the chapel last night, I was talking with some friends about home. One asked me if I would be staying in Hawai'i after I graduate from University. I stated that I did not believe that I would, though I do love my home so much. She then asked me, "where will you go?" I said, "everywhere." And then without pause and without thinking about what I was really saying I said, "the world is a book. I'm gonna read it."
After I said that, I thought about it a little. First I just thought it sounded cool to be honest. I thought it was catchy. That's probably why I even thought about it in the first place really. But when I think about it, Dreamer, the world really is a book. It is full of history, architecture, geological masterpieces. It is full of mountains and oceans, wind and lightning and aurora lights. And it is also a book full of stories. The world is full of the stories of countless lives past, present, and to come in the future. So many stories untold; so many stories unread.
The world is a book that I will never finish. I will probably never get past the first page. In some parts the story might be hard. Other stories might confuse me. Some stories I may shy away from even though I feel the burn of my heart to read them. Some of those stories I will let my heart melt for as I then choose to read them. Some stories, I may never see, never hear of, never even catch the faintest wind of. I may not even get past the first page, the first paragraph, lo I may even get stuck on the first word!, but I will try, and I will read this book. I will read this book of limitless stories. I will add my own, and I will seek the stories of those around me. I will try to read this book through God's eyes and God's heart.
I will try, and I will fail. But I promise, I will try. The world is a book, and I promise I will try to read it.
I will read it, because no matter how much pain, agony, and sorrow lies within; no matter how much death and cries of grief paint the pages; and no matter how gripping with fear the black drawn pages may be at times, I would rather die than allow myself to sit lifeless and wonder of the joys, hope, peace, and love that are filling those pages too. I would rather live a life of intensity, read the greatest story ever written and let my life be a part of it then never know what even a fraction of that story is about and never be a part of it. Yes indeed, I would rather die. So I will read this book. I will fail, but I will try. I will try. I promise.
Blessings Dreamer,
Carter