A Little's Enough

Current City: Glasgow, Scotland

Well. I'm in Scotland! I feel like I've been here a year. The fact that it's actually only been a week is mind boggling.

Since arriving to this wonderful city on Sunday life has been a total whirlwind. In 9 days I have flown from New York to Dublin to Glasgow, moved into a flat, met and bonded with my wonderful roommate Brianna (also from Duke--we all get put together as roommates through our public policy program), created a new sort of family with the 8 other Duke students studying abroad with me, done international student orientation, registered for classes, gone grocery shopping every. single. day., done a walking tour of the city centers of Glasgow, gone "pubbing and clubbing," taken a day trip to a marvelously beautiful castle on the coast of Scotland called Culzean (pronounced kuh-lane...I don't get it either), taken another day trip up north to watch some Highland Games (a.k.a. men in kilts throwing things), and come down with a terrible cold that kept me bed ridden these past couple days. Not to mention that tomorrow, the Dukies will be embarking on a 5 day trip to London for the politics seminar we are all taking together!

I bet it's tiring just reading that paragraph! As you can see I haven't had a chance to really sit down and write an in depth blog post. Especially after being sick the past couple of days I pretty exhausted. The "initial euphoria" of being in a new place is easily tempered when your body crashes. This makes sense. I am at once filled with awe and gratitude at this amazing opportunity but at the same point humbled by its costs. Though I already love it here in Scotland, I can also already see that studying abroad is not easy--physically, socially, emotionally, and especially spiritually.

Amidst the chaos it has been easy to be distracted from the Lord and completely forget about spending time in the Word or in prayer, especially without being really plugged into a fellowship and church yet. But what I love (and, okay, sometimes don't love so much) is that He is always ready to remind me just how dependent I am on Him. He has taught me lesson after lesson in humility these past days: for instance, I lost an important train ticket. I was so overwhelmed and sleep deprived when I first arrived that all I wanted was to go home. I spent this past weekend feeling too weak to leave my flat. But the flip side of these bad experiences has to do with that moment of crystallization, the "oh, duh!" that comes out of my mouth when God shows me exactly what He is doing and why. After all, when I say, completely broken down, "I can't do this," I suddenly realize that that, of course, is the point: of course I can't do this. Only HE can do this! How absurd of me to think otherwise.

Fittingly my quiet time has lately been bringing me back this concept of my weakness, my failings, my brokenness and the beautiful way they serve to reveal God's glory. In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul reflects on the "thorn in his side" and God's response to his cries for relief. How humbling to hear the Lord say, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness," (v. 9). And how mind blowing that Paul, in turn, can express gratitude for a weakness that clearly causes him severe torment! In Philippians 4:11-13 Paul recognizes his weakness in all circumstances--not only when he is starving and imprisoned, but when he is well fed and thriving. It is sobering to realize that we are just as hopeless on our own whether we are poor or rich, sick or healthy. Paul recognizes that we have something to face even in times of plenty and abundance, and the only means by which we can do so is by fully relying on God for our strength. Psalm 73 sums it up wonderfully:

"Whom have I in Heaven besides you? And there is nothing in earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart my fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."


My prayer for this semester is to keep my eyes fixed on God amidst all the distractions and challenges of studying abroad, and to rely on Him fully as my strength. In the end, my contentment in Glasgow will have more to do with my heart for the Lord than anything else. So, as I embark on all these trips and make new friends and step out of my comfort zone, I hope to do it all with an eternal perspective. And, hopefully, without getting sick again!

Wish me luck as I head to London! Hopefully once I return my posts will become more regular.

Rachel