Today is the 13th day of our trip which means we are almost ⅔ of the way done! This trip has been incredible so far but also very, very busy. Every day has been filled with many breath-taking tours, adventures, company visits, and bodacious food stops. The days are long and tiring, but every bit of it is worth it. So far, we have been to five countries, and each one is unique and poses its own challenges. We have been to huge, bustling cities like Amsterdam and Paris that are always moving all day and all night. We have faced multiple language barriers. We conquered public transportation on the trains in France. Some of us have even been measuring our steps and we have averaged almost 9.5 miles of walking a day! Having all of this pile up together can really be draining.
With that being said, the devotion that we read today was about refreshment. Based from the book of Proverbs 25:13 it says, “Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.” I took this to meaning that we are only truly refreshed by God, and at this point in the trip, I think we could all use a little refresher to reflect on everything we have seen and done so far and prepare ourselves for the last bit of the trip so that we can enjoy it with the same energy that we had on the first day.
Everyone finds their refreshment in different ways. For me, I found my refreshment on the bus ride to Hockenheim, our first day in Germany. On the way, I was just sitting in the back looking at my phone and listening to music like usual when Professor Betts summoned me to the front. After a couple moments of panic, I found out that I was not in trouble but rather it was just to catch up and see how the trip was going so far. After talking for awhile, I moved forward into the fold up seat next to Joop, our legendary bus driver. At this point, I finally began to look out the window, and I was so glad I did. We were in the Rhine River Valley driving alongside the river with beautiful mountains on either side and sun shining down on us(a rare sight to this point). As we went along, Joop informed me about all of the small communities on the water’s edge and pointed out all of the castles that overlook those communities as well as many fun facts. Seeing all of this gorgeous region just reminded me that God’s beauty is everywhere on this earth, and combined with the pleasant interactions with Joop and the professors, I received that renewing feeling that I think we all need on a trip like this. I can’t wait to see what comes next in this last leg of the great European adventure!
