Looking at the title of this blog,"Journey to a Healing Heart," I am reminded, once again, why I took this trip to Europe.  I am so blessed to have been able to make this trip and the Lord made it all possible!

A dear friend recently asked me, "How have you grown or changed from this trip?"  What a great question!  I mean, I knew it would change me.  I knew it would make me grow. I knew it would open my eyes to many things I had not seen in my soul.  But to actually meditate on that question made me realize that I am on a journey, a journey to a healing heart.  And this trip is just a jump-start to a beautiful outcome!

So I guess you might be wondering,  "Well, what HAS she learned?" I would be more than happy to tell you.  Before leaving the states I knew I was independent.  I had an "I can do this myself" attitude.  Well, I have come to discover that this is pretty much true - when it comes to other people.  I have come to trust the Lord and His provisions and strength for my every step.  I am grateful for the people He was brought into my life to guide me and help me along the way.  But I am fully capable of living life alone, with my Savior the rest of my days, if that is what He calls me to do.  So, when I return to the states, I will continue with my attitude of gratefulness and praise and patiently wait for Him to show me the next step in my journey.

What else have I learned?  I have learned to be grateful for the little things that I have in this life:  my health, my eyesight, water, a cool breeze, family, and good friends.  A person truly can not appreciate these things unless they are without them for a time.  (I wish someone had told me this before, but I guess it was a lesson I needed to learn here.) 

I have learned that the Lord puts a dream in your heart, NOT to be guarded and kept there, but to live it out - TO IT'S FULLEST!  For the longest time I have dreamed of going to Italy.  I wanted to smell the food.  I wanted to see the beauty.  I wanted to hear the sounds of a market.  I wanted to determine if this was a place I could spend the rest of my days.  This was a dream.  I got scared for a little bit.  I feared that I would get here and it would not be everything I hoped it would be.  I feared that I wouldn't be able to understand the language (which I still don't).  I feared that I would be disappointed in finding out this was MY dream and not a dream the Lord had placed in my heart.  But you know what?  I KNOW this dream was given to me by the Lord.  I know because the minute I stepped off the train in Venice I felt so much joy and peace!  This can ONLY come from the Lord.

Yes, I have learned so much and I have grown.  I am still on a journey though.  I will continue to learn and grow once my feet hit American soil (or pavement, whichever the case may be).  I am looking forward to each person the Lord will bring into my life, whether it is for a reason, a season or a lifetime.  And if you are reading this blog, you obviously fall into one of those categories.  Thank you so much for reading!  I appreciate your friendship, and look forward to seeing what part you will play in my growth.  You are all on this journey with me, whether you play an active role or not.  Bless you.