Weit, Weit Weg von Mir
The German mission team is in Hamburg this week. This is the third German mission team I thought I might travel with, but didn’t. Last summer, when I thought I’d be going back down to Greenville for grad school, I wrote my German professor and asked him if there were any chance I might be able to travel with the team in 2005. He said that yes, of course there was. It was something to look forward to. Something I had been looking forward to for five years, or so, actually. But it never panned out. In 2001 I decided to wait to apply for the team until my senior year, when I’d be more prepared with the language (amongst other things). My senior year, I decided to go to Germany as an Au Pair, instead — a choice I’d make again, even though there are certain things I regret about those nine months abroad. And then, last summer, I decided to stay in Boston. No regrets there. Can there be regrets in the center of God’s will? I don’t think so. But there can be a sweet sort of longing for places, people and experiences that might have been good and blessed, if things had turned out differently. (more…)