I'm feeling very encouraged at the minute. As hard as things have the potential to be, there is definitely a silver lining to everything. It would be so easy, now that Paige is gone and the semester is well and truly over- all goodbyes said- to get caught up in how much that sucks and get down in the dumps for a while. But the way I see it, in a way to be insistent on moping about the past is a refusal to accept God's gifts, not only for now and the future but also for the time we miss. God's timing is perfect. He gives and takes away as is appropriate within his timing. That might be had to get our heads around, but in the long run, for me at least, that means appreciating gifts while we have them, and releasing them when the time is right.
I believe that all of us grew together this semester, and learned a great deal about ourselves. That only counts for something when we take it away and apply it to our "real" lives. So now is the time for that application.
One of the best things about having Paige here was that her spirit brings out the more "fun" side of me. She encourages me to act like a child, basically. And it's brilliant. Spending time with her is a great reminder about embracing life the way God intended. Her childish side is infectious! We played on swings, rolled down a massive hill, got ice cram, went paddling, played on a flying fox...it was fantastic! By the time she left on Friday night we were both exhausted, but it's safe to say that between all of that and the stand up comedy we watched in our spare time, we had a great few days together.
On Thursday I took her to the top of the Cairn O the Mount, a local beauty spot, for lunch. It's incredible out there, all rolling hills covered in heather, right out to the sea. We listened to country music and sang together and generally messed about- and it was beautiful. So simple, but such a gift for our last time together.
Of course I miss my friends. I still miss the girls I lived with last semester! It's hard to go from spending time with someone every day to not seeing them at all. On the other hand, you learn to appreciate people far more when they aren't around! I'm so in love with every single one of them, and we became so close- but it's time to move on. I will not do what I did last time round and retreat into myself, refusing to make any new friends for the fear of saying goodbye. That is not God's plan.
I will take what I have learned and the wonderful relationships I have formed, and focus on sustaining them all in a new way. I have God's promise, after all, that this was not goodbye- it is only see you later, and only for now.
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