Requiem for an Adventure (part 2 of 2)

So, all in all, the summer was amazing. I mean, I got to climb up and down the Rocky Mountains ad nauseam for freak's sake. That's enough right there, I'd say. The landscape was unbelievable, and every time I got up on a 12,000+ peak, I was moved to tears at how beautiful our creator is. And, the fact that his immense love for me is greater than his love for the unspeakable beauty of his creation has changed my life and my understanding of everything. I got to see his beauty first hand every day that I was in Colorado. I will always remember the beauty that I existed in. He is great.

But, for now, I'm back in Atlanta. I took a week to travel across the country, staying in Buena Vista at the Sgarlata's, St. Louis with the family, and Memphis with Michael and Gretchen. I have a lot of love in my life, and got to live in it through my time with friends and family. Y'all are great. I left Memphis yesterday morning and made a stop in Nashville to get coffee with my buddy Drew Holcomb. Then, I pulled into Atlanta yesterday evening and went straight to Piedmont Park where there is always a pick-up soccer game on Tuesday nights. I loved being able to get right back into one of the things I love about Atlanta. It was great. I'm staying this week with some friends in East Atlanta Village, then systematically moving from house to house, sleeping on couches or wherever my wonderful friends will put me, until I'm off to Spain at the end of September. i've been blessed to have friends that care enough to offer me a place to stay for a few nights at a time. Once again, there's a lot of love in my life. It will be a long period of spending days alone and trying to accomplish things like support letters and filling storage units and seeing old friends. I look forward to it.
As I sat down here at Dr. Bombay's this morning, I was struck with a realization. I've been looking forward to returning to Atlanta since I left in May. Now that I'm here, I've begun to develop a distinct understanding. While I love this place, I'm acutely aware that my heart is still restless. I don't know the best way to express that. But there's a sense within me that there's so much left ahead of me that I cannot be content just to simply be back in Atlanta. The Lord has something distinct for me. There is some way that he has in mind for me to serve him, and I haven't arrived yet. I praise him that my restlessness is a disposition of my heart that longs for his presence and to be known and loved by him. That's really what my heart has been desiring all this time; not St. Louis or Spain or Atlanta or Colorado, but Him. And his is a love that I can chase and know anywhere in the world. Access to Him is the greatest gift we ever could have been given. He is a great God.
So, this place is beautiful as ever. I look forward to my month of supposed downtime, as it will be a great chance to see the people that I love and wander this city that my heart identifies with. Off I go to it. Thank you for your love and care, it means the world to me.