Wall

Now that the holidays are over, life has gone back to normal. Normal is boring for me. I wake up when its still dark, go to work at a hospital, come home, workout, and make a salad for dinner (because that is all I know how to "cook" for one person). Eventually I force myself to bed by ten knowing I have to wake up the next morning to repeat the routine. This is the Secret Life of Allison Green in case you were wondering. Its not as exciting as Walter Mitty or busy like my life overseas (where I would run out of time to even sleep somedays), but trusting God this is just a season. I also have another secret, its contentment in Christ. It what keeps me going and I'm not saying its easy or I'm hundred-percent there, it is a daily choice... a daily prayer. Some say contentment is focusing on the now, but I believe we still have to remember the past to know how far we've come. I am not the same person today than I was five years ago when I left for full-time missions. Not a day goes by that I don't think of the people I met, places I visited, and experiences around the world that have shaped me who I am today. So I look back at times, but I also look at the moment that is in front of me and decide I don't want to miss out on what God is doing now.

Africa (front & center), Guatemala (left)

So every morning I wake up and turn over to see this wall of cherished memories. Pictures reminding me of my visits to villages with the Jesus Film team and smiles of beloved patients. Laughing about the canoe trip (with only one life jacket) I took with friends to Banana Island, Sierra Leone and missing the beautiful sunsets we would see on the sail. The artwork is from all over West Africa and reminds me of the beauty I saw despite the brokenness. My sister gave me the picture in the center, its says "The world is my battlefield. Love is my weapon of choice." Looking at the wall sometimes makes me homesick, but more than anything I am reminded God taught me how to love and gave me strength to do it everyday. He handed me adventures and gave me a purpose with His love. Why do I doubt that He won't do the same here? That is when I know I am right where God wants me and I don't want to miss a thing.