Back on home soil for a mere thirty-six hours before heading off again for many, many hours, the precise number of which I am just a bit too lazy to add up.
It's been a whirlwind five days composed of multiple hugs with multiple relatives, lots of reminiscences, and the overwhelming understanding of what it is like coming back to a place where you have a history and where everyone knows everyone else. One evening, as I lay on the familiar bed in the familiar guest room at my grandparents' place and stared up at the familiar green and tan of the fern-covered wallpaper, I wanted to take a picture. Yes, of a corner of a room. I got out of my bed and ran my fingers along the wall, looking for the place where my uncle once wrote a verse of precious scripture in biro, somewhere among the tiny scribbled declarations of young love and teen humour. And I was struck by the delightful restfulness of knowing a place and a neighbourhood inside out. Living all over the country and soaking up new experiences is a wonderful thing, but so is being rooted deep into a community.
On the long journey home, there was lots of time for reading. Normally my consumption of books is a chapter or half a chapter here and there; having a few solid hours to read (in between family convos and laughing at my dad's crazy show-off dancing-whilst-driving routine) is like a giant revolution for my brain.
I read some more of Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz and decided I would really like to be a hip and snappy American thirty-something capable of spouting brilliant reflections on life and love and faith. Then I realised there was no hope of that and instead I ought to be the best me possible and just love Jesus and people more. Which is pretty much likely to keep me busy the rest of my life.
I don't agree with all of Miller's (Donald's? Mr. Miller's?) statements but I love how his 'emergent' thinking is really just a back-to-basics look at what Jesus was and is all about. Plus, he really cracks me up. Anyone who can talk passionately about the gospel and make me laugh at the same time is super in my book.
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conversations:
JessieSue -- You're so sweet; thanks for your kind comments. Are you newly blogging? Yay! I'll be bookmarking your blog :).
Bethany -- we did, indeed, get to visit the cutie herself! And she's grown up so much in just two months! And thank you for the tag -- I'm honoured. Answers coming soon!
Hello Danielle,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post. Where are you heading to next? What you said about your Dad dancing while driving sounds a lot like something my Dad would do:) I liked what you said about not wanting to be some wonderful person, but instead being the best me possible and loving Jesus and others more. I have been realising more recently how important it is to love, and how difficult it is love without having myself stuck in, in some form. Hope you enjoy the rest of your holidays.
Love Tegan
Umm, Danielle?
ReplyDeleteYou already are a hip and snappy Australian, twenty-something 'capable of spouting brilliant reflections on life and love and faith'.
So you already fulfil 80% of those wantings and in quite a few more years...well, then you'll be in the 30's. And you could always move to America for a little while. Not that you will. But you could.
How does it feel to have attained your dreams? What a day!
Hey...after a long time I'm finally visiting your blog again!
ReplyDeleteI love this post, and really understand what you mean about there's nothing like going back to a place where there are so many memories.
I'm planning on heading back to Australia and going through all my old stomping grounds and memories. :)
How's all of you?