Change the world

It has been my experience to encounter few people with passion and fervor for government and politics. A lot of people have opinions and knowledge, yet aside from voting, there are really a select few who feel called to go make needed changes for our country.

I happen to be related to one of those people though who has passion and fervor and wants to be a part of seeing this country make changes. My cousin Anna is heading of to Washington D.C. this coming Sunday for an internship there. And no telling where it will all lead, but it promises hope to open the door for a bigger something in her future.

Saturday night was an evening to honor her, pray for her and celebrate her before her departure - in complete patriotic style of course.We began the night in darkness. Life can feel dark. Often times the things going on in our country and our world can feel dark too. And sometimes, things inside of us can feel dark and hopeless. As we all went around the room giving Anna words of encouragement and vision for the next six months of life, we each lit a candle, watching the room come to life and light slowly. The time was precious and sweet and very tear-filled as all of us present not only had impact on Anna's life - but recognized where she has had impact on ours.
Anna is a world-changer. It was an overriding theme all night mentioned by several women there. She is most definitely one of those people who is called to more in this specific place. It has been quite something to watch this dream slowly unfold for my cousin-friend.
The night left me feeling filled with emotion. Pride, sadness, excitement, hope, curiosity, longing. Her absence leaves another hole in my life, and yet I see where it's time for her to go and time for me to feel that void.
The three of us cousins grew up together. We grew up closer than most cousins might get to. Our closeness is just a result of how God knit our stories together and how He continues to. I am humbled at how God has weaved our lives into the other. The tapestry of my life has Anna colored threads in it because of how her beauty has touched my life - where her words and tears have had impact on my story. I couldn't be more proud of the woman she has become and the woman she is still becoming today.

Go Anna. Go change the world. You have already changed ours.