I read an article in Relevant Magazine today.
About homelessness, and about how this guy (the author) learned about the Love of Jesus Christ just by his experiences in Africa when helping the impoverished and poor.
It was a very touching article, and makes you think.

Something that struck me more than anything though, was what has been going on in my life.
I began to think, as I read the article, about if I could give up everything I had, like the author, to just go live on the streets if God asked me to.

Of course, I don't get attached to material things, so the question would have a reletively simple answer.

But then I realized what I had been struggling with since coming to Virginia.
In the beginning, I was so distraught with my experiences at job and such, taking me away from my life with my family and friends, and with what I wanted to do, I never really began to look at the entire picture.

That's what I realized today.

God had been asking me to give up everything, and sometimes that isn't just limited to the material. At times, I may have to give up my friends as well; which also means my life as I have begun to know it.

There have been many times, even recently, where I have been so lonely at home or just wandering about. I felt like "living life to the fullest" meant that I had to be experiencing things with other people; more specifically, my friends.

Whether it was just hanging out watching T.V. or going to the book store or beach.
Everything, in my mind, came to one conclusion:

As long as I have my friends,
Then I can live.

But as I start beginning to enjoy my own company, and just try and further myself everyday in any way possible, this article just comes to me.

I don't think I have a problem with Love.
I don't believe that I'd have a problem giving up everything to do what he wants me to do.

I just know now, that I have to learn to give up friends as well. Not just friends that have a bad influence, but even those that I love to be with. Even if it's temporary, say a 6 month deployment on a ship in the middle of the high seas; then I have to be able to give it up without a fuss.

Without having any of those things holding me back, I can live life more freely now, without worry or regret. I believe that's what he was trying to show me with that article.

I said before, that things are going really well, and I believe this proves how I'm gradually becoming more content.