July

The seventh month of the year has brought me so much joy in my time on this earth. The very best days and weeks of my life have occurred in this summer month, and I can’t help but reflect on their memories this July.

In 2018, I traveled to South Africa to attend the Global Young People’s Convocation for the young people of the United Methodist Church. There, I met and worshipped with believers from all around the world and I also had the opportunity to see an African Safari and learn more about the history of South Africa. Up to that point, traveling to Africa was the best experience of my life.

A year later, in 2019, I was in Kansas City preaching to thousands of youth about God’s unconditional love at the National Youth Convocation. Sharing God’s Word with other young people brought so much hope to my spirit, and my heart was touched at the end of the night when a teenage boy came up to me and told me that for the first time in his life, he knew that he was loved by God.

A week after this trip to Kansas City, I was standing at the altar in a white ballgown pledging my life and love to Brady Hunker. July 20th was filled with love and happiness (and heat), and there hasn’t been a day in my life where I was surrounded with more family and friends.

After our perfect fairytale wedding, Brady and I traveled to the island of Maui in the state of Hawaii to celebrate our honeymoon as newlyweds. We swam in the ocean, attended an authentic luau, and even flew across the land in a helicopter. At Maui, I experienced some of my happiest days since I was able to enjoy paradise with the love of my life.

This month doesn’t have the same excitement and joy that I experienced the past two summers. When July 1st came around, I immediately noticed a drastic shift in my mood. It’s almost like my body subconsciously realizes that this month holds so many wonderful memories, but none of them can be relived, and there is nothing new to look forward to this year.

My heart is broken this month, but to be honest, it has been broken for a while now. I don’t think I’ll ever have a July half as good as the ones I’ve had in the past, and it is so painful to realize that the best days and best memories of this summer month are behind me.