Greetings to all my loved ones...
I have arrived at yet another stop along my life's journey, or will you allow me to use a new vocabulary… exit ramp … I have been thinking of this idea after reading a new book (of course!) and my 3.5 hour drive on Interstate 74 today. An exit ramp on a highway simply allows an opportunity to go a different way. There are always exit ramps...always an opportunity to go in a new direction. Some ramps take us to new highways, some to county roads, and some lead us home. I'm now exiting the highway of "College, work, close proximity to friends, and deep and intimate friendships" and I'm merging into a new Highway of life...
The exit ramp which I am currently merging onto is an anticipated stop. It's been in the itinerary for a while. I have chosen to spend my summer working with Mission Indy. This is a non-profit organization in Indianapolis that focuses on equipping Christians to serve others in an urban environment. I spent the summer of 2004 with Mission Indy and credit a lot of my maturity and ministry philosophy to their efforts of equipping me with the right questions to ask, the ability to love, and I learned a little bit about sweating too :) - you can learn more about MI at missionindy.com . God has led me back to this exit ramp again. Here I will be for the rest of May, and the months of June, and July teaching sweet, smelly, ornery children about Jesus and his enduring pursuit of their little hearts...mentoring Jr. High youth group kids and challenging them to think about what God is doing in the city…all the while working alongside 9 other girls who have decided to exit on the same ramp…Oh, Lord teach me to have faith like the little ones…love on the bigger ones…and learn from the grown ones.
I'm choosing to think about life’s journey in this way because after the last four years I'm leaving the all too familiar highway I've been traveling. I've visited quite a number of different exit ramps...some with long drawn out stretches that allow plenty of time to merge into the new line of traffic...some have been breathtakingly sharp and very abrupt, leaving a small amount of time for compensating yet I manage to hold tightly to Jesus and he slowly helps me weave into the new pace... oh, He is so good.
What exit ramp are you on right now? Where are you headed on your journey?. George Ross has an interesting thought about the journey. He says, "Yesterday was FOR you, today is ABOUT you, and tomorrow is UP to you". I hope you are enjoying your journey...
Thanks for all your deep love, support, and willingness to travel with me on this journey. I’m blessed because of you.
Grace and Deep Peace to you.
4 comments:
Shannon!! This is Lisa [your 2004 MI roomie]! I'm so glad that you sent me your blog and am so glad that you have decided to accept the Lord's leading to work with Mission Indy this summer! Will Niccole be working along side you this summer? How exciting! We need to catch up, you look great in your graduation picture girl [your hair is so long!!]
Talk to you soon, and may God bless and keep you as you choose to serve Him!
Lisa, Travis, and soon-to-be Baby Caleb!
...finally more for me to read. Thanks for letting me join in with you on your journey no matter what exit you take. I am proud of you. I love how God plants unexpected surprises on our journey...he even calls girls from the prairie of Illinois to God to Africa.
Good luck Shannon...
Wow...Congratulations graduate! I really enjoyed reading your blog thoughts today. My life's journey has been a whirlwind lately (being a new mommy, hopefully a good wife :), and working to support the family). I'm with you, clinging to Jesus and joyfully anticipating what God has in store for me.
I miss you friend. If you are ever anywhere near KS, please call and we'll meet up. I miss those deep, thought provoking, yet silly conversations we used to have in our dorm rooms. Ahhh...what good memories! Love you!
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