Day 31: I don’t remember when I first saw this quote, but isn’t it one of those that just makes you pause? That’s what it does for me…and during the pausing, it also puts a brick in the pit of my stomach. We only get one chance to live our lives and while we can’t ever go back (GULP.), we can always change things going forward.

I don’t have the reference to back this up (sorry research people), but I heard on NPR of a study showing that a large percentage of senior citizens wished they had taken more risks in their lives. Similarly, another study showed that people tend to regret inaction more than regretting actions they’ve taken.

So if you look back over the last 30 days with me, how can we not just give this a shot? How can we sit pretty as a surgeon and his wife in America when God has done ALL. THESE. THINGS. to pull us toward Ethiopia over and over and over again? If we fight to believe what we say we believe, then here’s what’s true: nothing can separate us from God’s love, God will lead us and hold us no matter where we are, and He doesn’t sleep (different time zone—no problem). He is near, He is good, and He is faithful. He says not to fear, and He says not to worry. And He says you have to give up your life to truly find it.

At the beginning of #31daysofcalling, I was trying to answer the question “why?”. Why are we doing this, why do we think God is calling us to it? But now that we’ve been through all these days together, the question I hope we’re asking is “why not?”. After seeing time after time after time of God preparing, providing, protecting, and teaching us, why not do this? Why not take the gifts He’s given us and use them in Ethiopia? Why not try to be faithful to follow Him when He’s obviously been so faithful to us?

Stay tuned for a few days of epilogue, as I’m calling it 😊 Thank you for walking through these days with me. It has turned out to be a sacred place of reflection and amazement, and it blows me away that other people have hopped onto the journey with me. See you tomorrow, friends ❤️#lovesinethiopia