Well. Here we are.
I am now halfway through the Raleigh Fellows Program and can hardly fathom it. It overwhelms me to even think of summarizing these past few months (since i’ve missed a few blogs I’M SORRY ASH) into a single blog post. I could never do it justice.
Instead, I am going to give a small recap of these past few weeks. Coming into the second half, I was feeling a little unsettled. After two weeks home in Alabama for the holidays, I wasn’t sure how I felt about leaving quite yet. I was most definitely missing my Raleigh peeps, but also felt anxious about leaving my family and the comforts of home. For the first time since I moved in September, I once again pulled out of my hometown driveway with a packed car and tears in my eyes. I spent the first half of my eight hour drive wrestling with the doubts and anxieties I had about leaving home.
That all changed when I picked up sweet Adelaide (aka SWAG) in Greenville, SC. Because of some car difficulties, she needed a ride back to Raleigh and I was passing right through. During those next four hours together, the Lord began to cover me with a peace that comes only from Him. He used that car ride with swag to calm my fears and remind me of the sweet friendships that he had blessed me with through this program. He reminded me that He was bringing me back for a purpose- and that there was joy ahead.
The next day we packed up and our fellows class drove to Virginia for our mid year retreat. I can’t even fully explain why I adored this week so much. I think it was just experiencing joy in the mundane moments together. It was in the moments of waking up to the sunrise on the bay to spend time with the Lord. It was in the moments of worship in the morning with slippers on our feet and coffee in our hands. Or laughing on the dock in the freezing weather while wrapped in blankets. It was in the moments of just sitting in the living room while working on our laptops- not even talking, but just being together. It was going on spontaneous runs with the girls. Or the moments of dancing around the kitchen while cooking and playing music. It was watching the bachelor together and eating out of tubs of ice cream. Or staying up late talking with face-masks on. It was just sitting around the table and eating meals together.
I loved every moment. Because these are my people. And it doesn’t matter what we do- I’m just overjoyed that I get to do it with them. Especially in the mundane.
Until next time,
Emme Slaton
