Lessons Learned in the Sweet Heart of Summer

Chicago with Isabella

          Let me start off by saying that this summer is one I will most certainly never forget. I lived this summer like it would be my last. Looking back on it, this summer was an Ecclesiastes summer. I was King Solomon in the female flesh, testing all the pleasures of the world to see what would satisfy. Sorry to ruin it for you if you've never read the book before, but nothing does satisfy except Jesus Christ himself. 

          I went on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Chicago with my beautiful grandma and my best friend in the entire world. I learned a lot about the people of Chicago, how easy it is to blow through $300 if you're not careful, and how much I love those two ladies. Chicago was a few days of carefree fun and relaxation with three wide-eyed girls exploring a concrete jungle. We talked boys, we talked clothes, we walked EVERYWHERE, and we had the time of our lives. 

Chicago Aquarium with Grandma

          I visited Liberty University again with my dear momma, and before we left the area, we stopped in Washington, D.C. to see the sights and sounds of the nation's capitol. First, visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Holocaust history has always fascinated me and broken my heart all in the same time, so I was in a nerd's paradise, but my heart was heavy with the pain in the eyes of the old men in the room. 

Being a hooligan in D.C.

          We sat and watched survivors' stories for longer than either of us ever imagined we would, but those stories will stick with me for the rest of my life. It was a come-to-Jesus moment, or would have been if my heart had been in the right place. We walked around the center of D.C. and saw all the buildings, tried our luck with the metro, and even saw a military wedding photo shoot in the middle of a 90 degree day. We took our time sightseeing and just having fun together. I took this time for granted and I so desperately wish I could have it back. 

Edgar J. Hoover Building
with Mom

          The last aspect of this summer is a touchy subject. A relationship isn't just one person's story to tell, and you don't automatically get rights to the story just because you lived it. I was in a relationship this summer that brought a lot of fun and smiles into my life. The problem came when I let this relationship overshadow my relationship with Christ. We started dating in early June, and things were going great. As time went on, I fell in love with his family. Nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters, parents, grandparents. It was so much fun. It was a lot to take in, especially for a girl with social anxiety, but I was living it up. As the summer months came and went, I walked away from God. I abandoned my first love for this new love. I didn't mean to, but does anyone really mean to? The road that leads away from Christ is deceptively charming and you don't really noticed how far you've walked until you turn around. 

          That turning around happened for me in my first week at Liberty University. I hate to leave you all on a cliff hanger like this, but I really want to dedicate a whole post to my first week at Liberty! I promise this story has a happy ending!