be all there.

I'm sitting in the first floor of the library. It feels like Antarctica and I have a huge essay midterm tomorrow. I'm huddled in my corner, trying to study, and all I want to do is be in Haiti. I want to see my sweet godson, Pootchy. I want to swing with him in a hammock and make sure he knows how much God loves him. I want to walk through the village and visit my sweet friend, Cherlie, whos baby I pray is still alive. I want to be in La Source, soaking in the contrast of such a beautiful place trashed (literally) by the garbage washing up from the ocean. I want to be in Port-au-Prince, starting my internship at the orphanage. I want to get to know those kids, to be immersed in a culture much different from my own. I want to be overwhelmed by it all. I want to learn how I can be most helpful there. I want to be there, because I feel like it's more important. I feel like telling people about the Hope we have is way more important than staring at a computer screen & passing a Marriage & Family Therapy test. And then I remember a quote from a man that I greatly respect, the missionary Jim Elliot, who said:

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

And that brings me back to reality. Right now I am in school. That is where I am supposed to be. I don't want to go through the motions of the next few months and miss out on opportunities I have. Because that's living for the next thing. I'm reminded to glorify God where I am, right now. And right now, I'm in the library. And later this week, I'll go to class, play a flag football game, and then go to a Halloween party. So I'll do those things with joy, because this is God's will for the right now. Investing in people here, in the right now. Making memories in the right now. Loving my roommates well right now. And that's all I need to know. Believe me, I am still looking forward to being in Haiti. But right now, I'm going to live in the right now, and be all there.