Learning by paradox

"...we have nothing, and yet we have everything..."
2Corinthians 6:10

How beautiful is this statement. How true. It's the valley. Living and learning by paradox. To have nothing, is to have everything. To be alone, is to be near the ever-present God who NEVER leaves you alone.

Amanda put my heart into words perfectly when she said, "I want to show my family that I love them, but it's also hard to be here." I love my family. Really, I do. But it's also so hard to be here. It's hard when you go from seeing the same girls every single day, to going days, weeks, or even months without them. You don't want to cling to those memories too much, but everything around you reminds you of them. You don't want to be overbearing, but you miss them. You want to live out this new change, but sometimes it feels like the only people who get this new you are the people who you now never see.

I realize that I'll be at college in a week, but this week has been the longest one ever and I've only been back two full days. I still have seven more. And what of those who aren't moving away? Who are where they'll be for the year? Is it the people within Kamiyama that I want to go back to? Or the people of Japan? Is it my flesh that says I won't be back? Or my heart?

So long sweet summer
I stumbled upon you and gracefully basked in your rays.
So long sweet summer
I fell into you now you're gracefully falling away.
-Dashboard Confessional
So Long Sweet Summer

We have NOTHING, and yet we have EVERYTHING

Live and learn by paradox.