Change for the Better

Two weeks ago I returned from the trip of a lifetime. I have had the opportunity to see many friends, family and CBTS classmates since being home. All of them have asked me about the trip. To be honest, I have struggled to find the words. If you know me then you know that I enjoy talking and sharing about life. So, not to have the words is a new experience for me. I thought I would return and not be able to stop talking...instead I have found that most of the time I don't know where to start. The places and sights that I saw simply overwhelm me as I let my mind and heart return to that land.

My friends have responded to my muted response by being kind and asking me more specific questions. They ask, "well, what was your favorite part". Again, a tough question but one that I have found some answers (yes plural). First I tell them about Troy. This is the place that I began to get snobby about dates. The mere age of the stones, gates, and walls that I saw made me gain perspective on what the word ancient really means. It got to the point that if something was dated say in the 12 century C.E. it felt new to me. Show me that B.C.E please! Then I share about my experience in Ephesus. It was a great place because so much of it is intact and has been successfully excavated. My group and I walked the streets, sat on the toilets, and stood in the amphitheater of Ephesus. That was the place that I understood where these people lived their daily lives. Across the sea in Corinth is where I had communion with the saints. I felt a connection to the early Christians. I felt a bond that is deeper than any earthly bond. Christ reached across the ages to bring the early Christians and today's pilgrims together under his body and blood. A time of remembrance beyond what I have ever experienced.

Today I don't feel different. I returned to the same house, the same office, the same school, the same people, and the same schedule. I am the same person. As I remember my journey I wonder why I didn't come back a different person. All of the elements were there...new places, new people, new experiences. I then realized that different isn't the goal. God has been shaping me into the person I am today for 26 years. I can't expect to go on a trip and come back different. No, I am not different...I am better. I am a deeper Melissa; I am more patient, I am more appreciative, I am more attentive. I read the Biblical text with a deeper understanding and I feel personally invested in the books that speak of places I have seen with my own eyes. The accounts of Ephesus and Corinth are no longer foreign; they are part of me. I hope that you have the opportunity to go to Turkey and Greece someday. If so, give my greetings to all of our ancient Christian brothers and sisters and I hope you come back changed for the better.

your friend,
Melissa