While I have failed at producing a blog for several weeks now, I just thought I would take a study break (aka procrastinate a little more) and let everyone know that I am still alive and well in the land of the kiwi bird.
Ever since Easter break, I have been learning why I am truly here in New Zealand. Yes, I am here to further my education and learn about another part of the world. Yes, I am here because this wonderful couple that I love dearly correctly bragged about the beauty of this land and its people. Yes, I am here because I decided it would be the best semester to miss events going on with my little sister back home. For these and other reasons, I decided that coming this semester was best, but since arriving I have had this feeling that I am here for a bigger purpose. I now believe that the reason God wanted me in New Zealand, this year, this semester, at this point in my life, was to court me and change me into who I should/want to be.
Now let me explain. I have been raised in a Christian family all my life, and for that I will be forever grateful. Like all people however, I have had my struggles. Through what I would call "the tragedies of earthly life" I have questioned God's love for me and even His existence. I have tried to pretend like he didn't even exist only to be drawn closer to Him because He refuses to give up on me. I have tried to hurt Him like I was hurting only to be shown how deep His love goes by His continued goodness towards me. I tried to walk away from him only to fall into His loving arms. I tried to fill the hole in my heart with other things than Him only to discover that the things of this world can only fill the hole for a moment and then drain out like a sieve. But God has been showing himself to me here in New Zealand.
What started off as a "lucky" encounter of me spying in on a student playing the piano in the Union has turned into the first real discipleship relationships of my life. Since I can remember meeting Drew, this musically inclined classmate of mine (with impeccable fashion sense), God has been using him to help me fall in Love with God and work out a lot of issues I have been carrying for years now.
Here's just a few things I've been learning about:
1. God delights in me!!!!! -
Now all my life I have been singing the song "Jesus loves me" but until the last month or so, in my heart I had always thought "Jesus loves everybody else all the time, but sometimes I mess up and I don't deserve his love so he doesn't love me". BUT I WAS WRONG! The bible specifically says........
-I am a treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6)
-I am an excellent one from which God gets all his delight (Psalm 16:3)
-The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy which includes me so I bring him pleasure (Psalm 147:11)
-He chose me before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and without blame before Him in love, because he predestined me to adoption as his daughter by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made me accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
-He does not treat me as my sins deserve or repay me according to my iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, He has removed my transgressions from me. (Psalm 103: 10-12)
To cut a long story short......... He loves me! And he doesn't just love me sometimes. He loves me, he likes me, he REALLY likes me and he REALLY loves me constantly and forever and ever no matter how bad I screw up or how far away I run because He chose me (and YOU) way before the creation of the earth to be the one thing in the world that delights Him. Now that's powerful!
2. I love my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I have always loved my family, we have not always gotten along ( aka we're just like every other family out there). Being in New Zealand however, and learning about God's incredible love for me has really driven me to want a better relationship with my family in particular. In order to do this however, there are a lot of things I have been doing to prepare to go home and build these relationships up . First of all, I've been letting go of the baggage I've carried around with me. I've been truly forgiving my family for things in the past and have been seeking forgiveness and repenting from the hurtful things I've done to them. I've been breaking judgments that I've placed on them and praying for blessings for them. Throughout this whole process, God has just been showing me more and more how AWESOME my family is. He's revealed to me so many acts of love that they have done for me that I have over looked.
For example, my mom loved me so much that she taught me how to cook and bake, sharing all the family recipes and secrets that make her food THE BEST. She wakes up earlier than everyone else and goes to bed late after working all day long to keep things at work and around the house running smoothly. She taught me how to do my own laundry (which some college students still don't know how to do). She forced me to stick out hard situations to grow stronger and then allowed me to move on when she realized I needed a change. She has learned how to use facebook and skype because she wants to be a part of my life even when I'm on the other side of the world and no matter the hour, she always makes time for me..... and those are just a few.
My dad on the other hand, has also been showing me his love in lots of ways that I have over looked. Like my mom, he works hard at work to provide for the family and then comes home where he runs the farm not for a profit, but so that us kids would be able to have animals, be in 4-H, and build that good work ethic that only comes from farm life. He builds amazingly beautiful things out of wood that adorn our house and the community, and I am confident that he could build/fix anything. He gave me a baby goat when all I wanted to do was cry in my room all day/everyday even though he didn't want a goat on the farm. He "streaked" with a sign that said "I love Eliza" not just to embarrass me, but to show his love to me.... and so much more.
I have also overlooked how my sisters have loved on me. They've picked on me to make me stronger while at the same time defended me to everyone that's ever talked bad about me. They've let me cuddle, cry, hold their hands, hug, wail, tickle, and laugh even when it's been uncomfortable for them and not what they wanted to do. They've let me invade their rooms and their houses when I've needed to get away. They've sent me mail, hidden cute notes, and left random messages just to let me know they're thinking of me. They've been there to listen when nobody else was. No matter what, I know they will be there when I need them because they always show up.
I love my family and I am super excited to see them when I go home. New Zealand has really made me appreciate how outstanding they are and how great their love is for me and each other. I've also learned a lot about the 5 love languages while I've been in New Zealand.... which everyone should know! (Check them out at http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ . Take the assessments and have your family do them too. It'll change the way you look at the world!)
Alright.... so I should probably cut this short now since I REALLY need to get back to studying, but I am doing Fan-tab-u-lous! Please be praying that my finals go alright, and I will be back to DIA June 22 at 10:30 pm!!!! I can't wait to see you all!!!!!
Loves and Blessings,
Liza <3 p="p">
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