5/28/2018 0 Comments Thank god for hometowns![]() After moving away to school only 2 1/2 hours away from home, and almost every weekend traveling back to my hometown, I always think to myself, THANK GOD FOR HOMETOWNS I remember kids in high school always saying, I don’t wanna end up here, I have to get out of here, there’s so much more out there than this tiny town. Of course I’ve said this too, "I want to live anywhere but here". But the older I get the more I think, I wouldn’t mind living here. Of course I’d rather see mountains in my backyard than cornfields but when my great grandpa said, this is the best place in Indiana. I truly believed it. Hometowns teach you a lot, they teach you the importance of tradition. Sometimes tradition seems like a silly thing but the fact of it is, it’s part of who you are. You grew up this way, more likely, so did your parents. It’s something that is a part of family history and it’s so important. Growing up in a small town has taught me so much. My hometown has taught me how to be thankful for family and friends because, no matter how many times they get on your nerves or make you mad, they are the ones who will always be there for you and you should never take that for granted. Hometowns teach you how to give back. And small hometowns show you what the word community really means. Everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand when you need one. Community is working together to build a better atmosphere, being there to raise each other up, build each other up, and pick each other up when someone is in need. Think about sporting events. Where I grew up sporting events were huge thing, everyone went, and everyone supported every player. For me, a prime example of community, is Elkhart County. I have a special place in my heart for this place. Not because I like the setting. It's because of the people. Hometown's teach you how to work for what you want. Nothing comes easy in life. They always say "gardens don’t grow overnight", and theres truth to that. To get to the place you wanna be in life it takes work and effort. It doesn’t happen just because you want it to. Hometown’s teach you how to be well-rounded. Of course all of us complain about how bored we are in the middle of nowhere. But really there’s so much to do, you just have to make fun yourself. Hometown to me is growing up amongst the cornfields, summers spent by the lake or pond. Playing kickball and red rover at recess. Catching turtles and anything else you could find in the creek. Running barefoot, and when a storm came and it rained, you grab a bucket and picked as many worms out of the ground as possible and filled the bucket to the rim. It's spending your afternoon exploring the woods behind your house, and riding your four wheeler‘s in the fields as you time yourself to see how fast you can get around. (Or that was just me because that little camo 90 was my favorite and I'm super competitive) We count the days until the county fair, because to us (or maybe this is a me thing too) it’s better than Disney World. Alright let’s leave the county fair to another blog post because I can literally talk about the fair for hours. NO JOKE These are all things that represent hometown to me. Things I would never want to give up. Thing's I want my kids to have and understand. Forget the iphone and get outside. I want them to appreciate and love their hometown. Play in the mud, yell at your brother when he throws a worm at you. Every week at school I look forward to the next time that I’m going back to my hometown. When I get to see family. So sure, maybe you want to leave, maybe you want to get out of here, it’s fine I get it. Sometimes I want to get out of here too! But the moral of this post is that I am so grateful and blessed for the community that I have grown up in, for the people that I’ve gotten to know because of my community. I have a great love for Elkhart County. It will always have a special place in my heart whether I end up here or don’t. To me, Home truly is the best place in Indiana. If there’s one thing I know for sure it’s that I can trust that my hometown roots will lead me in the right direction. So thank God for HomeTowns. For the people, for the few city lights that welcome you in, for the church pews, and for the faces that will never forget you. Blessings, Sarah Stump
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Well known for her love for Jesus, coffee, and having one arm. Sarah share's stories in her life in hope to help others. She wants you to know that,
"Our differences do not define who we are but are a part of the story that God has written for our lives." Sarah says, " I hope that I can be someone to relate to in a world of untold real stories. Everything I write is from my heart and real." "We are all created imperfectly perfect by God, we should be proud of our imperfections and differences, they make us who we are today but do not define us, know that you are beautiful and remind yourself of this everyday." |