When imagining how I will live my life, I imagine... Serving others here in Omaha to the Twin Cities to the greater world. Changing lives with my education and my love. Restoring the hopeless, the lonely and the scared.
I imagine my life as a service to others.
I want to dedicate my life to service, because if I don't who will? Who will rock babies for hours on end because they are in extreme pain? Who will rub kiddos back until they fall asleep? Who will pray with parents of terminally ill kids? Who will break terrible news to families and help them through it?
Who will do these things? Me.
Service has been such an important part of my life and has had a huge impact on the person I am today. Serving others to me, means we are God's hands. We are the work of God in all the ways we serve those around us and each of us called in certain ways to serve others. Mine, is my major.
When deciding a major, it was no brainer I was going to be a nurse. Nursing is one of the biggest challenges I have faced thus far in my life. It is hard. Most days it is overwhelming how hard it is.
But if it were easy, everyone would do it.
Being a first year nursing student, has taught me so much about myself, my profession and the world around me. Despite, challenging academics, eighteen credits and maintaining a specific grade point average, one of my most challenging decisions arrived last week.
As I recently got accepted to study abroad in Limerick, Ireland for the fall semester of 2017. I had mixed emotions. I had met with a friend who had gone to Ireland and I told her my situation. I can study abroad in Ireland or travel to Honduras on a medical brigade for the next few summers with my dad.
She replied, "What is more important to you, travel around Europe or service in a place of need?"
This is when I knew what I should do, I should be going to Honduras for those who need my help.
Turning down traveling was of course challenging but in my heart and my head, I know this is where I should be. I am aware people will judge me for turning down the opportunity to go abroad. "It's a once in a life time opportunity" So they say, well Europe will always be there, but the people who will receive our care may not.
For every hard day, mental breakdown and tears shed, I have to remind myself it will be worth it. When I use what I have learned it will make all of it worth it.
I could not be more thrilled to travel with my dad and am looking forward to this incredible journey. Through the next few summers, I get the opportunity to be God's hands. I get to start my path of serving others earlier than most and I am so grateful for this to begin!
