The Space Between A and B

I have got to start writing more often, or else these posts will be the size of a Charles Dickens novel (and he’s really the only one who can pull that off). For now, though, I’ll use the excuse of being ill. I barely wanted to move from my bed, much less write about happier times when I could swallow painlessly and breathe through my nose. What started out as a sore throat on Saturday morning turned into a horrid sleepless night and blocked-up ears. I found a bit of adventure by deciding to see a doctor…my first ever visit to a foreign hospital! He says it’s a virus, I think it’s a sinus infection. I’m willing to wait a few days, though, and spend them hoping he’s right and I’m wrong.

On top of feeling like crap physically, I bottomed out emotionally. No one wants to be sick away from home. I wanted to be in my bed snuggled up next to my dog, my mom coming to check on me, and a slew of Pay-per-View movies waiting for me to watch them. Unfortunately, I don’t currently have access to any of those things. 5 a.m. Sunday morning found me sitting in the kitchen on my floor drinking hot tea (I had run out of throat lozenges) and crying to my mom over Skype. The positive attitude I’d kept up over the past few days had crumbled beneath the weight of exhaustion and illness. My mom said something at one point, though, that stuck with me through the next day…“God must have some plan for you, because you’re certainly facing obstacles left and right”.

I was on the tube, headed back home from the doctor, when the truth of that statement hit me. As I was on public transportation I could not say anything out loud, so I settled for an internal rant. To Satan: You know what, you can just keep it coming because I am NOT going anywhere. To God: You better have something planned I can do so we can tell this guy to shove it. It wasn’t my most eloquent moment in speaking to my Creator, but as stated in my previous post, He knows who He created…the things that come out of my mouth don’t really surprise Him. 

It’s truly miraculous when you think about it. God doesn’t need me here. His plan will succeed with or without my ‘help’. But I believe there is a reason I’m here, His reason I’m here. I think we as humans have a tendency to simplify God’s plans by assuming there is a Point A and a Point B. Veer from the path that connects the two and you’re a failure. But how could we ever believe God to be so simple? Our God is wonderfully complex. His plans can’t be derailed by humans or their numerous mistakes. I believe that as long as you are seeking Him will, working to glorify Him, you are within the bounds of His ‘plan’. We don’t have to be perfect, sometimes we don’t even have to be willing…but when that beautiful combination of desire and purpose comes around, true miracles can occur. And that’s what I’m hoping for.

Before I got sick, I got to see and do some pretty awesome stuff this week! Wednesday afternoon Brittany and I started what will hopefully become a weekly tradition of lunch at Montparnasse Café. We discovered it on the walk to the gym one day, and I remember hoping it would be somewhere I could make my ‘special secret place’. Wherever you are, but especially if you’re away from home, you should find somewhere to be your ‘special secret place’. It doesn’t have to be a true secret, it may not be that special to anyone but you…but you’ll know it when you find it. We both had Quiche Lorraine and it was absolutely delicious. I can’t wait to try their coffee and fruit tarts…I’m sure it will be a momentous day.

Thursday is another one of my days off, so Brittany and I decided to wake up early and go to Zumba at the gym. After looking sleepily at one another when our alarms went of, we silently decided that Zumba could wait until next week and promptly fell back asleep. Later we grabbed sandwiches, cupcakes and cappuccinos from Bea’s, one of the coffee shops on our considerable list. Verdict: pretty darn good. The sandwiches had a lot of flavor, and the cupcakes were moist and not too sweet. The cappuccinos were the right temperature (don’t you hate when you have to wait 20 minutes before you can drink your coffee?) and the foam was stiff and almost entirely bubble-free.

We downed our scrumptious lunches on the way to Buckingham Palace, where we had reserved spots on an afternoon tour. Unfortunately, pictures in the palace aren’t allowed. But if you’re ever in London when it’s open for showing, definitely make an effort to see it. The state rooms manage to retain the opulence from bygone ages while keeping one foot firmly in the here and now. We also got to see the dress. It was every bit as magical in person as it was over television, and the detail that went into the design was astounding.

Afterwards Brittany and I sat in Green Park and had a great Jesus talk while eating our cupcakes we’d stashed in my purse for later. It was, all-in-all, the best day I’ve had here so far. Friday I got to go to Greenwich (a part of town way the heck to the east of where I live). I loved the small-town feel to it, and fell for the open space and breeze off of the river. While my class got to have a taste of the National Maritime Museum, it’s definitely one I will be going back to savor.

And that, ladies and gents, is my life. I’m currently back in my bed, a giant box of ‘man-sized’ tissues beside me (they’re label description, not mine). I’m hoping I’ll start feeling better in the next couple of days, and will have even more to share. Until then, stay healthy and remember…there’s way more to life than Point A and Point B.