For This Very Purpose



 "Away from the body. . . Alive and at home with the Lord Jesus Christ who has made us for this very purpose."

Those are the compelling words etched into my grandmother's headstone. For years, her grave was buried beneath the weeds and brambles of Mt. Moriah Cemetery that had grown up after a lapse in management of the cemetery. It was only this weekend that we found out that an independent group had come in and decided to undertake the mammoth job of clearing the cemetery. In the process, they have uncovered Elsbeth's grave. We decided to make the drive up to Philadelphia since I had never seen where she was buried, and it had been several years since my aunt and uncle had gone to try to find the spot.

 

Elsbeth Heidi Christensen - my paternal grandmother - died in 1975 (21 years before I was born) of leukemia. She was only 34; my dad was 3 1/2, my Uncle Dave 2 1/2. Originally from Bern, Switzerland, she served as a missionary nurse in Jos, Nigeria until she was diagnosed with leukemia while in the U.S. on furlough. To the very end, she loved Jesus with everything she was. Despite being in immense pain, she never ceased serving the Lord, leaving a significant impact on many doctors and nurses who attended her.

 

It's remarkable how we can miss someone we have never met. Elsbeth left a piece of herself - through friends, family members, photographs, stories, and countless other things - in every part of my life, and I miss her dearly. I miss her in the beauty of a swelling piece of music, the laughter of a family gathering, the sweet curls and shy grin of her youngest grandson, the questions left unanswered, the stories left untold, the deep brown of my eyes and contours of my face (we share the same brown eyes and look very much alike). As I gingerly picked my way towards her headstone through the recently re-grown weeds, heart pounding, I missed her more than ever. Tears sprang to my eyes as I spotted the stone that marked her spot in the ground, and I was immediately taken specifically by her epitaph.

 

It is unlike any epitaph I have ever seen, and it is certainly fitting of her life. To be honest, it had never crossed my mind that the Lord had made us for the purpose of being with Him in heaven. Typing that out just now, it seems obvious, but until I saw it spelled out this way on Elsbeth's headstone, it would not have been my answer to that question. I most likely would have said He made us to serve Him here on the earth, to glorify Him, or to have a relationship with Him (or some combination of the three). But, upon further consideration, yes - the end purpose of our lives is, having had a relationship with the Lord and served Him here, to live forever with Him in heaven. What a truly spectacular thing and the most precious of legacies that, 41 years after her death, Elsbeth is still teaching others about the Lord.

 

Yesterday was a truly memorable day. The weather was cool and crisp (a rare occurrence on the East Coast in the summer), and the sunlight filtered through the trees in the cemetery as a slight breeze ruffled their leaves. Dave and Autumn cleared the weeds and brambles that had grown back around Elsbeth's headstone as well as those of her sister-in-law, Lois, and two other distant relatives on my grandfather's side of the family. Then, to the fitting sounds of hymns playing off a portable speaker, I planted some purple bellflowers in front of the headstone. Tears were shed as we remembered and honored the life my sweet grandmother lived. As we drove away from the cemetery, my heart was full. She wouldn't have had it any other way.

"For this very purpose." This weekend has both renewed my understanding of our purpose as well as reminded me to live with eternity always before me. It is so very easy to get caught up in the toils and trials of every day, but we must remember that there is a bigger picture. This morning at church, our pastor reminded us that, while we tend to make mountains out of molehills, God makes molehills out of our mountains. This week, may we remember that this world is not our home. When we find ourselves discouraged over all that is taking place in our country and elsewhere, may we remember that God is painting a bigger picture. And when we find ourselves longing for something (or even someone) that this world does not contain, may we remember what C.S. Lewis so beautifully said, "If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world." How my heart looks forward to being reunited with my grandmother and worshipping our Lord in fulfillment of our ultimate purpose there.

 

Moments

Upon starting this post, I was sitting in the Chicago Midway Airport watching people passing by, each one on their own unique journey. I've always loved airports and people watching - so many different people's different journeys all colliding for a short amount of time in this place. Now, just a few days later, I'm sitting at my kitchen table all the way in Albuquerque! I can hardly believe I've been at Bryan for a year now; it truly has flown by. It has been one of the best years of my life. When I decided to come to Bryan, I expected to enjoy it. I was certain it was where God wanted me, and it was where I had always wanted to go. Well, I was right, but I had severely underestimated just how much I would love being a Bryan Lion. I know that this post echoes much of what I said in a previous post, but I cannot emphasize enough that being at Bryan has exceeded my expectations in every possible way. I never imagined the deep friendships I would form, the bonds with professors that would develop, the richness of campus life, or the amount I would grow both academically and spiritually. The amount I have learned about myself and been forced to depend on the Lord like never before has been astounding.

I was completely blindsided (in a good way) by a new avenue the Lord seems to be opening for me - the field of communications. I have always enjoyed the subject and all it entails, but it was not until I came to Bryan that I realized how much it applies to not only my chosen field of English Literature but also learning to live well. Because of this (as well as the deep impact of one of our communications professors, Mr. Palmer), I have decided to double major! This makes me an English Literature and Communications (foundation option) major, and, consequently, a very busy person! Though I know it will not be easy, I am so excited to take on this challenge. My confidence in the fact that Bryan is where the Lord wants me has only grown as the year has gone by, and I cannot wait to see how the Lord works in the coming three years. From chapel to chorale, classes to adventures with friends, campus life to the community of Dayton, this place has nestled its way into my heart for good!

I am now enjoying some downtime with family for about a week before I head out for this summer's adventure - an internship in Washington, D.C.! I am honored to be interning for Congressman Pearce for about a month and a half. The Lord led in this in astounding ways, and I am SO excited. I have been interested in politics from a young age, and interning for a Congressman is something I have always wanted to do. I look forward to seeing the legislative processes at work in an up close and personal way as well as living in and exploring our nation's capital. My aunt and uncle have kindly agreed to take me in while I am there, and I am also excited to spend time with them and my young cousin! My plan is to try to post updates at least once a week so that you all can keep track of my adventures. After D.C., I get to come home again for about a month before starting a new semester at Bryan.

More post ideas are brewing, and I hope to share some musings in the near future, as well. For now, I will leave you with this one challenge - enjoy each and every moment the Lord gives you this summer. Wherever He may have you for the next few months, rest in the fact that it is for a specific reason. Even if you are not doing the most glamorous or exciting thing this summer, do not miss out on watching the Lord work in each and every moment of it. It is often when we practice this kind of intent watching for Him that we are left in awe and wonder over how involved He is in even the seemingly insignificant moments of our lives.

Reflecting

I can hardly believe it is the end of my first semester at Bryan College. The time has flown by, and I enjoyed every moment of it. As I think back on all that has happened this semester, I am overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. I have been stretched and grown more during this semester than at any other time in my life. God has been so faithful along every step of the way, and my heart is filled to overflowing when I think of all He has done in a few short months.

Coming to Bryan, I had expectations - everyone does. I expected to enjoy it. I expected to learn new things. I expected to make new friends. May I just say, in total honesty, that Bryan College completely blew my expectations out of the water. Not only did I make new friends - I found myself a part of a community like nothing I have ever experienced. Not only did I learn new things - my knowledge has deepened and exploded. Not only did I enjoy it - I have deeply cherished every single moment.

What I didn't expect, but found as a pleasant surprise, was the amount of growth I would undergo. Being "out on your own" and independent for the first time brings with it a host of challenges and joys, but it also brings a special opportunity - to "own" your faith. This was not a foreign concept to me, this whole idea of your faith being your own, but I had never experienced it myself. When you suddenly find yourself out of your comfort zone, away from family, friends, and the familiar, and making your own decisions, your faith becomes real to you in a new and powerful way. And you have a decision to make - will you step out in faith and hold fast to the things you know to be true? Will you surrender your newfound independence to the Lord and allow Him to shape and mold your life? Will you trust Him that He has a plan for you?

Perhaps the thing I learned more than any other this semester was to trust God. Through thick and thin, ups and downs, smiles and tears, good days and bad, this was the theme I felt God strongly impress upon my heart. Over and over again, in a multiplicity of situations, He asked me the simple question, "Hollen, do you trust Me?" Later in the semester it morphed into, "Hollen, will You trust Me?" The verses that stuck with me throughout the semester were Psalm 31:14-15a. They say, "But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord, I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in Your hand [. . .]" (NASB). This became the theme of my semester and something I had to be reminded of daily. But, as time went on, not only did I learn how deeply I needed to trust the Lord, I learned how trustworthy He is.

He is working in every single circumstance, no matter how messy or confusing it may seem. And, indeed, He always works for our good. As Psalm 31:19 says, "How great is Your goodness,
which You have stored up for those who fear You, which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, before the sons of men!" (NASB). He was so very good to me this semester. It was in a myriad of little things that all added up to produce an overflowing cup of blessing. It was the professor who took time to teach me things that mattered, encourage me, push me towards excellence, and give newfound purpose to my writing. And who, at the end of the semester, simply wrote, "I love you, dear heart" at the bottom of my final. It was the stunning beauty of the Tennessee scenery, even with all its clouds and rain (and, in some ways, even because of this!). It was the painful moments and times of loneliness. It was the friends who provided sweet fellowship and much laughter. It was another professor who went out of his way to encourage and compliment me, taking the time to invest in me and pull out potential he saw. It was a million other little things that made up each day, that made up each week, that made up the semester.

And my heart can only repeat what my Poppy always says, "God is good - all the time! All the time - God is good! Because that's His nature!" I can hardly wait to see how He is going to use subsequent semesters at Bryan in my life - what a precious thing it is to be right where He wants you.

Declare

A while ago, I started a blog with a similar title and template, but I was terrible about posting on it. I have recently been learning and growing as I seek to hone my writing, and I thought I'd give blogging another go. It just so happened that I couldn't seem to find my old blog - hence the new one!

But, really, a fresh start is good. Fitting, even. I've learned so much in the past few months about myself and my Savior that beginning anew seems right. Recently, a precious friend and fellow believer of mine gave me a gift. She enjoys painting, and her gift to me was a little sign. It had one, simple word painted across it - declare. This sweet friend told me that she felt the Lord had laid it on her heart that I was to be declaring - to stand firm in my faith and declare to others what I know to be true. I had been contemplating starting up my blog again, and this seemed to be the Lord's way of gently nudging me to use my love of writing to declare truth.

I'm not 100% sure what that will look like, but that's ok. Sometimes it will look like sharing what the Lord is doing in my life, other times it might look like posting about what I've been doing lately. Still other times it might look like addressing a current event or issue, or it might look like sharing some of my creative writing (when I have some to share!). Whatever the specifics might look like, I desire the underlying theme to always be that of glorifying God and declaring His truth.

I encourage you to consider how the Lord might have you declare in your life. What specific platforms or opportunities has He provided you with in which you can declare? He has given us all unique talents and abilities which means the ways we declare will be unique, too.

Finally, my blog title. The Road Less Traveled. Some of you will recognize it as a shameless reference to Robert Frost's poem entitled "The Road Not Taken." Regardless of other ways to interpret the text of this poem (which, characteristic to the beauty of literature, are many), one way I feel it can be interpreted involves the journey of a person in this life. We are all confronted with two roads we could travel - the world's and God's. The Bible tells us that the path of the believer is along the narrow path that few choose to walk - quite literally, "the road less traveled" (see Matthew 7:13-14). I have long loved this poem by Frost, particularly that last line. Frost says that taking the road less traveled "has made all the difference." And so it is, as a pilgrim of "the road less traveled" who knows that choosing this path certainly "made all the difference" in my life, that I chose to title my blog as I did. I'll leave you for now with Frost's timeless words to ponder...

The Road Not Taken

Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.