The road directions mapped out my course on my phone even without wifi, and I jammed out to music as I sped down the roads. I knew half of the route after all. No need to worry.
But first, a quick stop at a store to pick out a snack to take with me to the party. I walked through the sliding doors and bouquets of flowers bobbed at me. No, I didn’t need flowers. Two steps towards the food, and I changed my mind.
With five sunflowers clasped in my hand, I checked out.
Back in the car, I navigated the unknown roads, and I was pleased because so far things were going as planned. Even my educated guesses were correct.
Until one time.
Fifteen minutes later, I realized that I was not pulling into my host’s driveway. Fields of tall grass surrounded me and then forest.
A woman exercise-walked up a hill, and I slowed, rolling down my window and trying not to be a creeper.
“Excuse me? Do you know Burnfield Court?” I called out my window.
She stopped her walking and shook her head. “I don’t. Is that in this county?”
My stomach sunk. I was really lost. Where were the road signs? That had been the beginning of my problem. And why didn’t I just turn on my data so the GPS could guide me…Oh, I remembered, I was trying to save money on my phone bill.
“Okaaaay. What’s the name of this road then?”
“Licorice Drive.”
At least now I knew where I was, even if it meant that I was not where I was meant to be.
Does that ever happen with you? You’ve made a checklist, did everything on it, but things still didn’t come together like you thought they would? Or you’ve done all the right things but life didn’t live up to your plan?
Oh, honey, you aren’t the only one.
I think we all get there sooner or later, whether you followed The Plan or rebelled against whatever expectations others had for you. Eventually, we smash into the road rut, spinning out of control and smearing across the pavement, skidding to a stop to stare up at the sky.
What. just. happened?
It’s another type of lost, a scarier kind because it’s not the simple turn-your-car-around-we’ll-be-back-on-track-in-five-minutes.
Maybe it’s the mid-life crisis or the 20s wake up call. I’ve heard the talk about it, where one day so-and-so wakes up from her hit-the-snooze-half-asleepness to say, “How did I get here? I don’t want this life.”
As much as I don’t like to admit that I’m lost and need directions, stopping and asking for help will get me on the map again.
Unless you’re one of those types…who likes wandering around lost, trying to Eat-Pray-Love your way to finding yourself in an unknown field or forest. But why wonder lost…when you don’t have to? When there’s a map with directions?
I’ve been pondering something for a long while. I don’t really know how to write it, how to pack it nicely into a perfect article of truth. But I want you to think about it, too. Please don’t let me headache over this on my own!
When I forget who God is, I forget who I am.
I get lost.
Am I the only one who’s seen this? In myself? In others? Honestly, the only way I can see God is through my very human eyes and I often project my own flaws onto Him. But that’s not how it’s meant to be.
I am not God. Are you? No?
So who is He? Really.
When I ask myself this, I so often fall back on my Sunday school learning, laundry-listing God’s attributes. Borrrrring.
If you’re wondering who God is, I challenge you to look at your life and draw up moments where you saw God in action. What did you see in Him in these moments? I dare you to read through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John of the Bible and keep a list of what characteristics Jesus showed in his actions.
What have you forgotten about who God is?
October 2016 Inspiration
Who doesn’t love the relief of cooler temperatures (unless of course, you’re heading into summer)? I’ll always be a soul who enjoys all the seasons in their time. I like the rhythm that they bring, the reminder that we won’t be in a season forever.
Each season offers a chance to shake off from the last and embrace what is to come.
I’ve been searching the trees these last few days, watching for the glimmer of gold edges and ruby flashes. The deep green bursting into magical shades…no wonder we delight in stories of faeries and other-things!
I don’t want to miss it.
You know? I don’t want to blink in a few days and realize that I missed the shift of lush green to the vibrant hues of autumn. I think the magic is catching the transition, really seeing the small details and welcoming them.
Current Jam:
Music knots in my head, and I repeat and repeat and repeat (to the frustration of all living companions). But just as abruptly, my interest shifts to a new favorite. I like this song, though, because I’m constantly wondering what love is. As a follower of Jesus, I know what perfect love is meant to look like. But I’m not perfect so I love imperfectly.
Current Food:
It’s a slippery slope…lattes. These last two weeks have me in a state of exhaustion that I haven’t seen in a while. So I’ve been doing what everyone else does…borrowing energy from caffeine. I tried this magical Strawberry Shortcake Latte, and I couldn’t believe how good it was!
Current Read:
If you check out my sidebar, you know I’m constantly reading a million books at one time. It works for me because they’re all different genres. I’d struggle to read two historical fiction books set in the same era and location. But, I’m loving Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. If you’re any type of creative, you MUST read it.
Current Obsession:
This year has been a journey of fitness for me. And recently, I really wanted to find a new skill that would motivate me to continue my strength training. Well, I found it. Aerial Silks (pst. I can do that move that you see in the photo). The best part is that there is a studio only 10 minutes away from where I live!
Current Quote:
Anyone else doing a bunch of stumbling recently? I definitely am. Join me in this dance called life, with all its fumbles, confusions, and stumbles.
May you have the eyes to see the little details that surround you as you transition from summer to autumn. May the beauty of your living be revealed to you in every way, and may the gold edges and ruby flashes adorn the corners and centers of your existence.
Barbara’s Tiny Cheat Sheet to Austrian German
Before moving to Austria, I remember trying to learn as much German as possible. I had beginner German CDs. I used Duolingo, and I listened to songs in German. I even read books that were set in Austria.
I stuffed the German vocabulary into my head.
And then, when I arrived in Austria, I realized that “willkommen” was not “you’re welcome”. Sure, in English, we’d translate “willkommen” as “welcome.” But in Austria, you would not use it in response to “thank you.” That’s when I learned that there was such a thing as Austrian German (it’s like the difference between American English and British English).
Knowing these nuances would be helpful if you plan on Three Days in Salzburg, Austria or you hope to Eat Your Way Through Vienna.
Barbara’s Tiny Cheat Sheet to Austrian German
1. Greeting
The nice thing about German is that a ton of the words are very similar to English. It is totally acceptable to greet others with “hallo.” Their hello isn’t going to be as jumpy and sharp as an American hello. Think of an Austrian “hallo” as a softer, more reserved hello.
Grüß Gott is my favorite greeting, though. It means basically “may God greet you.” I never heard it spoken in Germany, but I heard it everywhere in Austria. To my ear, it sounds like I’m saying “grease got”. But, here’s an audio in how to pronounce Grüß Gott.
2. Please/Thank You/You’re welcome
Please is a simple word, but it’s used in SO many ways. “Bitte” sounds like “bit-uh” to my ear. It works as please or “you go ahead” or “please tell me what you’d like to order”. The confusing thing is that this is the word that people will respond with if you say thank you!
Thank you is “danke” or a stronger thank you is “danke schön.” I’ve linked to pronunciations rather than trying to explain how my ear hears these two!
You’re welcome doesn’t exist as far as I know. Austrians respond to thanks with “bitte” or “bitte schön“, and they even have a joke that goes along with how circular a conversation can become with “bitte”, “danke”, and “bitte” again!
3. Good-bye
I grew up watching The Sound of Music so I believed that “Auf Wiedersehen” was good-bye. And it is! It’s just the very formal version.
In Austria, the more common word for good-bye is “tschüß” or “tschüßi”. The second is used more among good friends because it’s even more casual.
If you visit Austria any time soon, knowing these small things will be helpful so you stick out less. But if you’re not from Austria, well, you’ll just stick out. Accept it but try to use the language.
And if you ever write a book about Austria, be sure to research the language (especially if you use it). I once read a marvelous fiction novel, but the author used “willkommen” as “you’re welcome”!