| 8:44p |
Carla hits the road!
After I got my P's last week, my first drive occurred on the following Sunday afternoon. With my mum waving a fearful goodbye to me as I eased away from the kerb, I drove off into the sunset. Then I pulled over again and made some crucial adjustments. Firstly, I had to put a cushion on the seat, which was very embarrassing and annoying. I had been kidding myself that I was the only woman in our family who was tall enough to drive without sitting on a cushion. I don't remember how tall I am- it's around 165 centimetres or something. All I know is that I am a good height for going to concerts, because I'm not so short that I don't see anything, and I'm also not so tall that people groan "Ohhhhhhhh, how ANNOYING," whenever I stand in front of them. Plus, my boyfriend is the nicest height- he's only a few inches taller than me. That's all I really need to know about my height- who needs to get caught up with details? Anyway, once the cushion was under my little bott-bott, I shoved my new Sahara Hotnights CD into the CD player. The Sahara Hotnights are a totally spunky and rockin' Swedish all-girl band who sound like The Donnas and The Hives shoved into a blender with strawberries and ice-cream. Which is not a huge coincidence, seeing as the Sahara Hotnights are mates with The Donnas, and Pelle G (lead singer of The Hives) produced the latest Sahara Hotnights album.
Anyway, dear readers, what I am trying to say is that driving on my own was a mixed experience. There were moments when the Sahara Hotnights were making me feel all rock-chick and cool, and I felt like the hottest and most in-control driver on the block. And then there were moments when my hands went all sweaty, and I was all scared and freaked out and felt like I was going to spew.
But of course, what is a drive without a destination? My first drive was around the block and back again. And within half an hour, I was in the car again, headed towards my first real destination: a new church. You see, dear readers, I had to leave my last church awhile ago. I don't actually know how long ago it was. It could have been a month; it could have been 3 months. Who knows? All I know is that I really missed singing praises to God, and I missed seeing Christian brothers and sisters every week. I missed hearing the Bible taught, and I missed encouraging others and being encouraged myself.
I left my last church under very sad circumstances. I had some Serious Boy Issues that I am tempted to make a joke out of, because if I joke about it, then I'll feel better about the whole thing. But what happened was really not funny at all. I left a lot of really good friends behind. I didn't want to leave, but I had to.
So when I arrived at a new church last Sunday, I realised that the whole spewy-sweaty-hands thing wasn't about my driving- it was about being nervous. Even though I am a very outgoing and cheerful type, going to a new church where I didn't know a soul totally scared me. I wanted to drag my boyfriend Geoff along with me, but he has a youth minstry job at his church, so he couldn't make it. Anyway, it was something I had to do on my own. After I parked outside the church (Me! Parking! Wheeee!), I sat watching people walk into the church. It was an evening service, so it was pretty dark. I was pretty scared and nervous (did I mention that already?). So I prayed quietly that God would help me to calm down, and that He would help me to feel welcome at this new place.
I walked in the door, and there was a smiley young couple there, handing out service outlines. They both said hello. I said, "Hi. I'm Carla. This is my first time here tonight. I'm really scared." And they were SO NICE! I think their names were Stu and Susan. Stu chatted with me for a bit, and found me someone to sit next to. The church service was really good. I knew most of the songs, and it was just so great to sing to God again. Some of the youth group kids performed a little drama. The sermon was also really inspiring- it was great to learn about Jesus again. After the church service, Bron (the girl I was sitting next to) and Susan chatted with me. I also met another couple. I love how God provided some friendly people to talk to!
I left feeling really happy and excited about my new church, and all of the new beginnings that have happened this year. It's scary growing up- yucky things happen, and I find myself making decisions about leaving and staying and going to new places. But God is with me in everything, so I don't feel so lost or alone. I know that everything that happens is for His glory, and as He is a merciful, loving and compassionate God, I know that that is a wonderful thing. I'm going to go back to that church tomorrow night, and I'm really excited about it. |