Lessons from the Big Apple

So today marks my one week mark here in the Big Apple and I've already learned a lot of things, both practical and spiritual. Hopefully now that I know a little more about where I will be and what I will be doing each day, I will be able to post on a more regular basis. My goal is to post at least three times a week (I need you all to keep me accountable to that!). I want to start sharing with all of you what the Lord is doing in this city, and trust me, He is doing a lot. So each post will be a combination of practical advice and stories. Hopefully you will find it entertaining or helpful or both. 

Lesson One: Be weary of the man in Union Square offering free massages....nothing good can come out of that. 

Lesson Two: Don't gawk at the giant buildings towering over you...you will stick out like a sore thumb and you will miss your subway stop. 

Lesson Three: Food carts are completely safe and delicious and cheap...you can't get any better than a $.99 hotdog

Lesson Four: Wear comfortable shoes because you will be walking more than you have ever walked in your life and fancy shoes that look nice just aren't practical anymore. 

Lesson Five: Not all New Yorkers are rude or mean. Most of them just have somewhere to be and they are already thinking about where they have to be ten hours after that. This feeds nicely into my lesson six. 

Lesson Six: Be where you are. 

Going into this summer, and even now, I had no idea what I was going back to in the fall. I just found out that my interview for grad school is July 12 and surprisingly I will still be in New York. I may have finally gotten it worked out where I can still have my interview but even then, it is not a guarantee that I will get in. So here I am, graduated from college with two degrees and still unsure of what I'm doing. As I've been getting more excited about being here in New York, I've realized that this not knowing what I'm doing next is actually a blessing in disguise. Originally it may have caused me to have a few panic attacks, but now I'm realizing that is teaching me to live, contently, where I am. Too many times, like the New Yorkers, I am not really thinking about where I am but my mind has already moved ahead to where I am going next. I forget to really focus on where I am and what I am doing and I let my mind wander ahead. Being completely clueless as to what the next step is in life has allowed me to really just focus on New York and the many opportunities here. Too many times I have allowed myself to get consumed with not only what's next, but the problems or obstacles I am going to face to make it to that point. I'm just another New Yorker walking hurriedly to the subway stop in order to catch the train in hopes of making a transfer in time to catch the bus on the other side of the city to make it to wherever I need to go by the time the sun sets. Not knowing has given me the freedom to sit and relax, to breathe in all that is around me. To release any anxiety and fear and just live every moment to it's fullest. 

"Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well. So don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own." 

                                                              Matthew 6:33-34

Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants..........seek first God's kingdom and what God wants.....seek first God's kingdom and what God wants.....My hope is that the more I write it, the more it will seek in. Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. THEN all your other needs will be met as well. I'm thankful that the Lord gave me an unexpected blessing in my time of uncertainty. I don't know when I will know where I will be in August, but I'm enjoying it. I guess it makes sense since we are told continually not to worry, to let peace rule our hearts, and to depend solely on the Lord. 

"Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The burden that I ask you to accept is easy; the load I give you to carry is light." 

                                                             Matthew 11:28-30

"I leave you peace; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don't let your hearts be trouble or afraid."
                                                              John 14:27


"Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to body Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus."
                                                             Colossians 3:15-17


"Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
                                                              Philippians 4:6-7


The reoccurring theme in these pieces of scripture is that the Lord's peace is so different than the peace of the world, which when you think about it makes complete sense. We are asked from the time we graduate high school, what we are going to do with our lives, where we are going to college. Then when we graduate, we are supposed to know what we are doing next, where we are going to live, who we are going to marry. And the questions never end. We are always supposed to know what the next step is, but maybe it's a good thing that I don't right now. The Lord's plans are infinitely greater than my plans and I'm excited to see what they are.

Lesson Seven: Rooftop views are by far the best.