Expectations for Austria

Expectations – Europe Fall 2013

08-20-13&08-21-13

Greetings my friends!

I hope I find you in the best of spirits. Personally, I am in the best of moods, for as I write this, I am only a few hours from landing in Dublin, Ireland. This is my first of hopefully many blogs to come while I am studying abroad.

When most people think of their semester of studying abroad, they can say that they've been planning on doing this since they got to Franciscan. For me though, I've been planning on doing this since my sister went back in 2005. This is truly a dream come true.

With that though, I don't want to write this blog about my childhood dreams becoming reality, but I instead wanted to focus on expectations and making sure that while we are all abroad, we truly can get the most out of it. I think I'll go with a little list, one that I am truly making as I type. Whelp, here it goes. I can't wait to read this is a few months and see if any of what I type today is true. We shall see.

Expectations – Europe Fall 2013

1. The Lord has a plan

When I think of Europe, or even more specifically, Gaming, I start thinking of all the wonderful stories I've heard over the years, and how much the Lord has been able to do with people. The Lord truly does have a plan, and we just have to be open to it. Not just on certain weekend trips, or certain days, but daily. I think the daily mindset is so very vital. I know I can look at my own life, and some days I am so very good at pursing what the Lord wants, while other days, I truly fail miserably. Luckily for us though, we have a most merciful God, one who forgives us for our many shortcomings. He understands we will fail him time and time again, but he only asks that we get up, and push forward.

2. The semester will be life changing

From everyone I have spoken with, they all seem to come back from their time in Europe a changed man or women, able to say, I am changed person. I hope that I can say the same. I think that I have a lot of room for growth, and this will be a wonderful opportunity to work on that.

3. The semester will be difficult

As much as I am going to enjoy the semester, it seems like the consensus is that it will be difficult as well. For many, it is the first time we'll have a chance to really look at ourselves in a good light. It might happen that we don't like what we see. I am expecting that for all the good times, there will be a fair number of hard ones. Guess what though? That is just life.

4. God is going to be present

This is not so much an expectation but a true statement. The fact is, the Lord is always present in all that we do, but I think that because we have many of our everyday distractions out of the way, he will appear more present than usual. I am looking forward to this very much. Lately my mindset has been to just die to myself, or crucify my will, and I think I will be able to develop this even more while in Austria.

5. God's will brings about the most happiness

This is going to be my last expectation, and just like the last four, it goes hand in hand. When it comes down to it, God has a plan for us, and due to our sinful nature, we don't follow it the way we should. With that though, the Lord does give us a pretty good idea of what he desires from us, and what would bring him the most joy. The beautiful thing is, what brings him the most joy is what should bring us the most joy. If we are seeking his will, and then also doing it, we should find ourselves happier then ever before. I feel like this is quite a tough task to fulfill though while studying abroad. My reasoning is because it seems like the mentality over here is to do as much as you possibly can in four months, and don't ever slow down. I understand that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and that going to different countries and whatnot is super exciting and life changing, but it can also be very self centered. It can be very easy to strictly do what is fun, and though in a moral sense the stuff would not be bad, is it really doing God's will to the best of our abilities? I can't answer that question, and you can never fully know, but one way I like to look at it is this. When you make any decision, ask yourself if this is the best way you can love. In 1 John 4:8 we read, “God is Love,” and so we must chose the things that bring us closest to that. The things that require us to love the most sometimes will not seem to be the most fun things, but trust me, they are easily the most worthwhile.

Conclusion:

I am hoping you love your experience in Austria, and I hope I can love mine the same. This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we should truly hold dear every last moment. If the Lord is at the center of our hearts, we will bring him great joy and the feeling will be felt on our hearts. Remember to put the kingdom of God first in all things, and allow for the graces that your given to spring forth abundantly. I hope that we can all leave this place better people, and with experiences that we can hold dear forever.

Our Lady, wrap us in your Mantle of protection!

St. Brendan the Navigator and St. Francis Xavier, guide us on our journeys!

God be the Glory!

“He died for me, so I must live for him.”