Feeling thankful to be sad is such a strange combination of emotions. Right now, I am so sad. My amazing two months as an intern at Show Hope have come to an end. I have moved back from Tennessee, and I had to say goodbye to so many people who became very dear to me.
Yet, I am so thankful. I’m thankful that I’m sad to leave and that my heart is so full. These past two months flew by too fast, but I can’t help but look back with a huge smile. God was so good to me and taught me so much about his provision and his presence, and I’m incredibly thankful for that.
During a staff devotional at Show Hope, the leader talked about “microwave brains” and “crockpot brains.” People with microwave brains process their experiences and feelings very quickly, while people with crockpot brains have to let things sit for a while until they can fully process them. I’m definitely a crockpot brain. It took me months to really process everything God taught me during my trip to Europe in January, and I’m sure it will take just as long to fully understand the bigger picture of my summer.
For now, I’m mainly processing everything I’m going to miss the most about my time in Tennessee. Here are the three things that have been at the forefront of my mind lately.
1) The places. I absolutely fell in love with the Nashville area. There is a lake right outside of Nashville called Radnor Lake, and it provides such a beautiful, calm contrast to the busyness of the city. The city of Franklin—which is where I lived and worked—is so charming. Nashville itself is full of a contagious, creative energy. From movies in the park to free live music, there is always something fun to do.
2) The people. I was so blessed by the people God put in my life this summer. I had people cook for me, pray for me, and open up their homes to me. I experienced true Southern hospitality and saw Jesus in the words and actions of the people I came into contact with. The people I worked with were so kind, talented, and passionate about their jobs.
I made awesome new friends who helped me step out of my box and drove me to the airport at 2 a.m. so I wouldn’t have to take public transportation. I had tears in my eyes during almost all of my goodbyes.
3) The purpose. On my first day at Show Hope, my assignment was to read through the organization’s blog to get a feel for the voice and style I would be writing in.
I quickly realized that I had a lot to learn about adoption and the orphan crisis. There are more than 140 million orphans in the world and every 18 seconds another child becomes an orphan.
The wall next to my desk and the ceilings throughout the office are covered in pictures of children at Show Hope’s Care Centers who have been brought home to families. Every day I would come into work and be reminded of the reason we were all there.
In the last two months, God placed a burden on my heart for the millions of children who are waiting for the hope of a family.
I’m so thankful I had the opportunity to be a part of the movement to care for orphans. I can’t wait until the day when I can grow my own family through adoption and help lower the staggering statistics one precious child at a time.
Until then, I’m so excited to share about the things I learned and to find ways to continue to be a part of the movement.
Bailey Kaufman attends Tabor College. She can be reached at baileykaufman@tabor.edu.
