Just keep swimming

A father was attempting to teach his daughter how to swim. As he stood in the water encouraging her to jump to him, the only think running through her mind was the question of whether or not her father was actually going to catch her. She wanted to be positively sure that her father would save her from drowning, trying to build her trust in her father. As she took off and jumped into the water the father moved a step backwards, and as she continued swimming towards him he continued stepping backwards. She was giving it everything that she had each step that he took backwards as he encouraged her to continue swimming to him, to swim further and closer to him.

Now you can imagine what some of the thoughts going through the daughters head might be as she is paddling her hardest to catch her father. "Why is he moving away from me, why isn't he saving me, I'm going to drown and he is running from me?"

These thoughts, this idea of a daughter trying to catch her father, are a lot of the thoughts and feelings that I have had since returning from Fort Thompson South Dakota back to Manhattan Kansas. I haven't been home long, but I've been home long enough to know that I don't feel at home. That's a rough thing for me to say, but it's so true. I know how many friends and family and loved ones I have here, but I know that I have a calling for more.

Since I was a little girl my mom has told me that I would never be close to home. I didn't really know what that meant because until I was 17 I didn't know what God had planned for my life. I'm not going to live close to home, God's got something greater for me, and I don't know what that means. For right now I know that God has me here. That truth has been my only comfort since coming home. God has me here, and there is purpose for me being here.

Whether that be the awesome youth group I volunteer with, the kids that I'll be working with when I get back to work, the community that I have around me, the family that I'm not to far from, the awesome lifegroup and church that I am involved in or just the day to day people that I'll see. The friends that I have that aren't to far from me, and that I don't have the opportunity to see often. Whatever it is, I trust that God will show me His purpose....eventually.

I feel like I am aiming to get closer to God, to reach out to him and learn his plans for my life. The further I get from the ledge, the more He keeps looking me in the eyes and telling me to keep swimming. If I start to doubt or drown I know He will reach His hand out to save me, but He's trusting me with the swim and teaching me to trust Him with the plans.

I know I haven't shared a lot about my summer or details on everything. If you want to know those details, or if you have any questions about my summer you can email me: hfrost@mccks.edu

-Holly