A Reflection...

Would I be human if I didn't admit that there is a slight fear in the risk that I am taking? Yet, not as much as before. I have been prepared for this move, and I will take it knowing that, in due time, I will know what to do in each situation with which I am faced. I see my situation in Korea as described in the words of Lord Alfred Tennyson.

I envy not the beast that takes
His license in the field of time,
Unfetter'd by the sense of crime.
To whom a conscience never wakes;

Nor, what may count itself as blest,
The heart that never plighted troth
But stagnates in the weeds of sloth,
Nor any want-begotten rest.

My time here in Korea has been filled with adventures, work, relationships, and a mixture of all together. It has been informative, fun, and life-changing, but it is time to go. The lifestyle here allows one, as a foreigner, to get comfortable due to being exempt from many responsibilities that one might have at home. When something goes wrong it is easy to feign ignorance because of being from a foreign land where "things are done differently". I, too, have been guilty of this.

Eight years ago I heeded the call and unknowingly followed the words of Tennyson and came to Korea. It was an exhilerating feeling giving up all I had in Florida and setting off with two suitcases to the Far East. The hardships I have encountered here are priceless to me. I don't believe I will ever be able to express in words what or how they have made me into who I am today. Even if God had blessed me with the talent of writing, my story would be classified as fiction for no one could believe this journey I have been on. It is a treasure that God and I share, and I wouldn't trade it for any other dream I could imagine.

Now as I prepare to head back to the US, my heart is once again filled with the pang of anticipation and wonder. However, the fear that I felt in coming to Korea no longer taunts me. As I write, tears no longer come to my eyes because I return with the faith that God is most definitely with me wherever I go. This used to only be a religious catch-phrase to me. Now, it is my passport to any destination. As this journey progresses, it proves only stronger in truth.

Why should I cry for anything in the past? I have experienced it, and part of it remains with me. I step forward with joyful memories that bring a smile to my face and a warmth to my soul. Korea has been a catalyst for this. The dust from my feet shall not be shaken as I leave. Korea, with all the experiences of my time here, will be in my heart.