The first of many hard days to come....

Disclaimer, this post was written on Friday but I have not had internet until today so I am posting it today and it refers to Friday. 

Today was the first difficult day. When thinking about what it would be like to be here I knew that I would miss my family and friends but I didn’t think that I would have this hard of a day in the first week we were here. We have been with people and around people for 12 days straight due to orientation in New York and now this and we have been learning all this new information, meeting tons of new people and it has been great but it also has been overwhelming and a bit of a people overload, even for an extrovert like me. Today started off learning lots of new information about the Scottish government and politics and it was fascinating. They have multiple different levels of government and this time in their history is very interesting because they had a very close vote between parties of if they were going to leave the UK or not. By the end of the day I was exhausted and cranky and really just wanted some alone time.

I ended up going for a run. I ran down to the River Clyde and ran along it for a while trying to sort out my thoughts. I came across St. Andrews Cathedral. I walked inside right as they were staring adoration. As soon as I sat down and started praying my emotions let go and all my frustrations and worries and homesickness came out of me. As soon as I had had a good cry I started to feel better. I was able to thank God for the opportunities I have had and the many things and people I have experienced just in 4 days of being in Glasgow. I was able to go to confession at 4:30 and I knew that I had not stumbled upon this church at this exact time by myself. Then to make this alone time even better the hymn we sang at the end of adoration was won written by St. Thomas Aquinas who was an important saint at the Newman Center at Oregon. I smiled to myself and it let me know that everything will be ok. The adoration ended and I talked to this lovely elderly man who had grown up in Glasgow and gave me lots of ideas of historical places to go see as soon as he figured out I had moved here. By the time we were done talking 5:15 daily mass was starting so I stayed for mass. It was exactly what I needed today and I realized that I m not alone even if it sometimes feels like it. God loves me and he is always walking with me wherever I go.

I have shared one of my favorite poems with you all and it happened to be hung on the wall at Amanda’s parish when we went to visit on Thursday. It has been a recurring poem in my life so I thought I would share it.

Footprints in the Sand

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.

Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.

Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,

other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed

that during the low periods of my life,

when I was suffering from

anguish, sorrow or defeat,

I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord,

"You promised me Lord,

that if I followed you,

you would walk with me always.

But I have noticed that during

the most trying periods of my life

there have only been one

set of footprints in the sand.

Why, when I needed you most,

you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied,

"The times when you have

seen only one set of footprints,

is when I carried you."

Mary Stevenson

Blessings,

Julie