Saturday, January 02, 2010

It's been quite a decade.

In the past ten years, I:

-got my first job, which, unbeknownst to me, would play a large hand in saving my life at the time, and also enable me to make wonderful, close friendships that I never would have otherwise
-got my first car, which I would later drive up and down the "strip" at college sorting out the many and complicated emotions of my early-20's-redheaded-girl-brain
-overcame deep, eroding depression with God's mercy and grace
-fell in love for the first time with an English musician - the first man I've ever felt could really understand me
-directed and produced a dinner theatre for my high school senior project, which got rave reviews and even a letter in the local newspaper
-graduated from high school
-left home and moved (gasp!) three hours away to college
-met a (then) rather abrasive, strong-willed girl from Long Island who would become my very best friend
-discovered in college that there are other people in the world who thought and saw the world in the same way I did - who knew?
-met a professor who opened my mind to the wonders of Victorian literature and who changed my whole outlook on life just by believing in me
-became the first person in my family to live in another country when I studied abroad in Lancaster, England
-heard the very voice of God during that year in England, and have continued to hear Him since then
-was forced to let go of my first love and had to trust God that He knew best, despite my broken heart
-returned to the States and spent a spiritually charged senior year of college, working harder than I ever have at anything to get into graduate school
-wrote a television pilot and performed a scene from it with my best friend for all the professors I looked up to at my university, as well as my family
-graduated from college with a BA in English and writing
-left the country again, this time to move to London to pursue a Master's degree
-spent the most incredibly difficult, yet faith-building and life-changing year in London that I could have possibly imagined
-cried at the beauty of it all as I walked from Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square and back again
-worked with an Oscar winner as my own personal tutor and met many famous writers, directors, and producers in London
-spent a day on a film set with the producer of my favorite UK sitcom
-wrote several feature film scripts, a short film, and expanded my television series
-started this blog
-graduated with a MA in Screenwriting and Producing for Film and Television from the best media university in the UK
-moved to Raleigh, North Carolina at God's prompting
-deepened my friendship with my best friend and her husband to the point where they are now my family
-happened into a church that would change my heart, my life, and (any day now) my denomination
-found that what I really love doing is directing plays, and started a drama team in my church which has, to my own delight and amazement, affected the lives of the people there in ways I never could have even dreamed up myself
-became a mom to an adorable, affectionate, mischevious toy poodle whom I couldn't live without
-prayed specific verses from the Bible over someone for the first time in my life, and spent the following months in awe as every prayer was faithfully answered
-was dismissed from a job for which I was vastly overqualified and experienced the most humiliating 15 minutes of my life walking from my former office to my car with everything I'd had at my desk stuffed into about five plastic grocery bags because it was so unexpected
-learned how to first get the love I need from God, then how to sacrifice my pride and give love without expecting anything in return
-went through the most bitter crisis of faith I've ever had during five wretched months of unemployment and was ready to turn my back on God, but then He came through as He always does in the final countdown
-started a job in which the pay is less than I'd like and the job itself is challenging, but where I am actually appreciated by my supervisors, and that makes all the difference
-discovered that love is not a feeling, but a choice, and even though fighting for someone can be heart-wrenchingly difficult and requires the kind of strength only God can give, frankly, it's still incredibly stupid to not choose it

All in all, I grew up.

And if I spent the last decade being molded and shaped and, yes, pounded on quite a bit by God, here's hoping that this next one will progress with me taking all the lessons He shoved at me in the past ten years and moving forward, ready to do His will and further His kingdom in every area of my life.

Here I am, Lord. Send me.

4 comments:

Her said...

Wonderful. This being my favorite: "discovered that love is not a feeling, but a choice, and even though fighting for someone can be heart-wrenchingly difficult and requires the kind of strength only God can give, frankly, it's still incredibly stupid to not choose it"

Stay strong, my friend.

Andy - Instafather said...

Well, geez. That's one heck of a decade, and the fact you had an open mind for college, career, faith and more probably helped. I'd have to think this decade will be even better.

Nice blog design, btw

Elisse said...

Andy - I love that you take the time out to read everyone's blog who responds to yours and leave genuine comments. It really means a lot. :) And thanks for the compliment! The person who designed it left the comment above yours, coincidentally!

Chelsea - thanks so much for your comment, too. That's my favorite part as well. :) And look - your first written compliment for the blog design! Woo hoo!

Chris Sellek said...

ummmmm....my head just exploded from a wisdom overdose :D. loved it!