On November 16th, 2011 a big white envelope from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was in my mailbox. I couldn't believe that little old me had been called to serve a mission. I carried it around with me all day as I waited for friends and family to be there as I opened it. South Korea, February 22, 2012. WHAT? I was so humbled to have such an amazing call and I immediately began preparations. Or so I thought.
People always say that timing is EVERYTHING. Well, I truly believe that now. A few weeks had passed and I started to get anxious. The pressure began to be more than I could bear. I struggled, and I caved. The second week of January I was told that because of some things that had happened, I would have to stay home a few extra weeks. I was devastated. I was so determined to get out on my mission. I worked harder than I ever have before, and things just weren't feeling right. I started to question if I was really supposed to go, or if the Lord needed me here. I was so confused. Why would I have this call to serve, and then be needed elsewhere? I got really sick and had to find a new job that would better fit my needs.
That's when I started my job at Great Harvest. After about a month of working at Great Harvest, I had a good friend, Alyssa, who needed a job. She came into the bakery for a 'working interview' and spent the day as my shadow. 5 hours into our shift, a cute boy came walking in that Alyssa knew. She immediately introduced us and I felt as if all of the blood left my body. I hadn't been that nervous in a LONG time. Alyssa continued to say that this was the boy she had been trying to set me up with for over a year. I was flattered. He was so handsome, polite, and so kind. The rest of the day, I couldn't stop thinking of him. He didn't even leave with my number!
Our first date was set up for that following Saturday. Everyone thought I was crazy. "You have a mission to go on Alissa!" But something felt different. I prayed my guts out the next few days and had never felt so right about something. I mean, it was ONE date, right? Wrong.
A few days after our first date, I postponed my mission for 6-8 weeks. They held my call for me, but gave me some more time to make the right decision. The hardest decision I have ever had to make. I felt as though I was letting my family and friends down. But I couldn't ignore what I knew was right, and even though I battled it, it didn't change.
As my time was up and I needed to have a decision made, I received an offer from ILP to be a head teacher in China for 4 months. Of course I accepted. I needed this. My first experience in China was so incredible, I knew that another opportunity could not be ignored. I needed more time to make sure that my decision, Jordan, was the right one. Jordan was not too happy about my China adventure, but knew that I needed some time to deal with ME. He proposed 3 weeks before I left and was so incredibly supportive the whole time I was gone.
I returned home and knew without a doubt in my heart that I had made the right choice. The Lord has a funny way of teaching you things, and everything that I had been through up to this point was shaping me into who I needed to be. Not only for me, but for Jordan too. Alyssa had tried so many times to set us up before, and it just wasn't right. I wasn't ready for it. I hadn't experienced what I needed to in order to help Jordan and to let him help me. It all had become so clear. I was EXACTLY where I needed to be. And now, a year later, I am still EXACTLY where I need to be. Timing is everything.
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