{divine arrangements}

I've been home from India for 6 days now. I've talked for hours about my experiences and answered countless questions about how my trip was. And each time I talk about it the more I feel grateful for such an amazing life giving experience. For those brief moments I feel like I could close my eyes and be back in my room, #124.

My time in India was not always easy. There were countless days that I wished I could have been anywhere but there. I dread admitting my selfishness in that and I wish that wasn't true but it is. However, I know that my struggles and frustrations were primitive and critical for me to be able to lose my expectations and fully embrace circumstances and experience India to the fullest. 

Being in India taught me so much about myself; about the person I am created to be, the person I am and who I choose to be. It also gave me a new prospective on the happenings of life. 

I believed that my going to India was not something of chance. It was something I prayed and thought long and hard over. I even made lists being the type A person that I am, trying to decipher if I was supposed to go. But when it all came down to it I knew I was meant to go.

Like many things in my life I've simply known- had a sure bet or gut feeling that I was doing exactly what I was meant to do or was opening the correct door. I had the feeling when I first walked on Drake University's campus or when I knew I wanted to become a pharmacist. I knew I was meant to go to India.

I now like to call these moments or happenings "divine arrangements". 

After learning about arranged marriages and a particular one of a close friend, I couldn't help but think how divinely it was arranged. Being an American, my first thoughts about arranged marriages were "forced" and "lacking the power of choice". My perspective has changed. Now, I wouldn't say at this point I'd want to sign up for my parent to find me a suitor but I've realized that any and all marriages, in one way or another, have been arranged... divinely arranged. 

The more I thought about arrangements the more I began to see how so many aspects of our lives are arranged. And I started to see the divine arrangements of my life unfold before me.

So many parts of my life have been so eloquently arranged. And when I say eloquently I do not mean without their challenges. It has been a bumpy ride at times. But I now can see and appreciate that even through the journey of life how perfectly things have been arranged in the midst of our messes. 

I honestly believe my time in india was divinely arranged- that I was meant to learn from my experience, to find a greater purpose in life, to grow, to learn to love and to build strong friendships. India taught me more about the power of arrangements. It has given me a new found appreciation for the many divine arrangements I have been given.

I am truly grateful for friendships and people that I have happened upon on the winding road of life. For those that have changed my heart, walked with me through the thick of life and have filled my heart with so much love. My "divine arrangements", the people and the places, have changed me, molded me into who I am today. India has taught me everything happens for a reason, and opened my eyes to the divinely arrangements of life around me.

For some people that perfect job, person, opportunity, trip, etc is placed in our laps, handed to us by the universe. And we do not even realize how these happenings in life are so divinely arranged.

{friday fives}

friday 5's

1. Taj Mahal. what can I say about seeing one of the 7 wonders of the world. It was amazing. Even after seeing the mini version it still amazes me that it was built over 400 years ago by hand taking 22 years. The details were breathtaking. 

Taj Mahal with the bestie

2. Breakfast. We had breakfast at our hotel in Delhi while there traveling this past weekend. We had waffles, omelets, toast with jelly and nutella, fresh fruit, cereal and yogurt... and yes I at everything but cereal. My stomach was so uncomfortably full but it was SO worth it. I was in heaven. 

3. 100 rupees. This past weekend during our touring of the tourist sights in Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located) I charged someone 100 rupees to take a picture with me. Since everyone kept asking me or taking my picture without asking I finally was fed up and decided that I was going to charge people, like any other professional photographer was charging at all the sites. Surprisingly one of the men pulled out a 100rupees (aka $1.70is) and gave it to me. It was hilarious and awesome.

with my 100 rupees

4. Movie nights. This past week a bunch of us girls have all crammed into my room twice to watch movies. It has been fun to bond with my team and do something besides sit in my room at night.

5. Sunset. Tonight most of us girls walked to the temple at the edge of campus that sits upon a hill right around sunset. I am typically running as the sun goes down and I can only see the pretty colors in the sky so I put it on my list of things to do before we leave to go to the temple. There were some clouds above the mountain in the distance so we didn't officially see the last bit of sun as it went below the mountain, but it was still stunning. It is beautiful here. Sitting at the temple looking over Loni tonight I realized how much I am going to miss this place and all the beauty it holds. I am so thankful for all the great memories I will take with me and the pieces of me that I will be leaving behind.

 

so thankful for another amazing week in India. I hope you all had a great week as well!