Tawana's Last Words from Summe 2006

I learned a whole lot this summer. I learned that in life there will be things that I don’t want to do but that when God has a plan for you there is no other option. I learned that fear can be motivating and that just because we are unfamiliar with something doesn’t mean that it is a bad thing. At the beginning of the summer the MYP staff went on a rafting trip and I was defiant about participating. I went anyway and walked away from the experience with a clear picture of the amazing things that God can do. Marty, my boss, didn’t really give us a choice, we had to go. What I didn’t see then that I saw at the end of the trip was that it was a team building activity. My purpose for going wasn’t about me as an individual but my being a member of the team. This experience created a bond between Aynslee Moon and I that will never, ever fade. I loved rafting so much that I went two more times this summer. I have Marty to thank for his persistence and insight. The key thing that I learned is that it’s not about me it’s about helping others through being a vessel for God. This summer God showed me that I am on the right path with my education. God helped me to understand that just because I want something doesn’t mean that it is right for me. You see, he has something better for all of us and it’s just across the street.

I am different now in many ways. I have learned to be more trusting, my relationship with Jesus is stronger than ever, and that Jesus is always with me no matter where I am. Lake Junaluska is a very strong and spiritual place and God’s presence is strong here. God’s presence is also strong in my heart and mind and I don’t have to be here at the lake to feel him around me. The misunderstanding that so many people have is that they are going to church. The place that you go to is a building the church is in you. You can worship God anywhere and I have this summer. I became a stronger person spiritually this summer when I lost a family member in a tragic car accident. God gave me the strength to get through this experience and the comfort to know that he was always there with me. I did not have to deal with it alone. I had my family to pray with and remember all of the good things about my cousin Sean. What helped me get through this tragedy was knowing that I also had a support group here at Lake Junaluska that was praying for me and my family. I learned that through God all things are possible and that there is no greater love than the love of God.

Psalms 91:2 “I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”

Tawana Cunningham’s Blog