Winter seems to be pushing me out of the Canadian door, making it easy for me to say good bye to the Great White North. It's been cold, windy, and harsh, and as the ground remains frozen and hard outside, my heart has struggled to find its warmth. Tim has been working long days and hopping on planes to travel here and there for work. With family far away and a feeling of being trapped inside, it's easy to get discouraged.
I've been looking at the calendar a lot, counting the days until our moving truck comes, hoping for greener grass in Tennessee.
As I've been struggling to keep a positive perspective, the Holy Spirit has been whispering His love and goodness to me. Through the company of my friends from my small group, the encouraging words spoken by a good friend over the phone, an afternoon of sledding down a snow-covered hill with my family, and hearing the truth of God's word preached so powerfully at my church, God has been reminding me of some really good things in Canada. Through a paragraph my son wrote at school telling of how he thinks his mom is great and through the love of my husband as he listens and cares, I am reminded of God's blessings that are all around me-right here, right now.
I think underneath all of the snow outside my window where I sit right now, there might just be some green grass.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
From this one place
Looking back over the last ten months, I am amazed at all that has happened. We sold our house in Franklin, TN in only four days. We decided to stay in Canada one more year. We bought a house in Brentwood, TN without even stepping foot in it until after the offer was made. We hosted Isabella and her group for five weeks. Now we prepare for our move back to Tennessee.
We had the opportunity to spend a week in our new home in Tennessee over Christmas. It was really nice to be back in the South where the air is warmer, the restaurants are a bit kid-friendlier, and our family welcomes us. It was fun to dream and plan and prepare for our move back. We hope to not have to move again for a long, long time, and we hope we can raise our children in this home. I know better than to say "never" because I've seen how God works. I'm trying to hold on lightly and trust deeply and take one day at a time.
Back in the Summer, we spent some stressful months looking at houses online and making a few trips to Nashville to walk through the ones that caught our attention. The market was hot and houses were moving quickly, and we wondered if we were doing the right thing to try to buy a house from a far. We also wondered if we should just wait until the Fall or Christmas to buy a house knowing we wouldn't be moving until March. That made more sense, but I've also learned to lean not on my own understanding. Now looking back, I can see how God provided just the right house at just the right time.
Into this story comes our dear friends, Perry and Katie. Perry and Tim went to grad school together over ten years ago and have been close friends ever since then. Perry and Katie allowed us to live with them for several months eight years ago when we were moving back to Nashville (the second time). This Summer, they sold their house in TN and needed a place to leave while their new house was undergoing some major renovations. So, it was perfect the way we bought our house at just the time when they needed a place. I'm so thankful our house didn't sit empty for months but was a blessing to our friends who had blessed us in the same way many years before.
I also can see how God's timing was good in the purchase of our home when I look back at the craziness of our Fall. Hosting the Ugandans was an amazing journey and one I will always be thankful for. It was also all-consuming, and we would not have been able to shop for a home or travel to Tennessee while they were with us..
So, now I can see. From this place, it all makes sense, but ten months ago, I was filled with questions and anxiety and doubt. I'm so thankful God could see what I couldn't. I'm thankful again for His perfect provisions. I'm thankful to be reminded that He is God and I am not.
Again, I'm reminded of some lyrics by Sara Groves in her song, From this One Place:
From this one place I can't see very far
In this one moment I'm square in the dark
These are the things I will trust in my heart
You can see something else, something else
We had the opportunity to spend a week in our new home in Tennessee over Christmas. It was really nice to be back in the South where the air is warmer, the restaurants are a bit kid-friendlier, and our family welcomes us. It was fun to dream and plan and prepare for our move back. We hope to not have to move again for a long, long time, and we hope we can raise our children in this home. I know better than to say "never" because I've seen how God works. I'm trying to hold on lightly and trust deeply and take one day at a time.
Back in the Summer, we spent some stressful months looking at houses online and making a few trips to Nashville to walk through the ones that caught our attention. The market was hot and houses were moving quickly, and we wondered if we were doing the right thing to try to buy a house from a far. We also wondered if we should just wait until the Fall or Christmas to buy a house knowing we wouldn't be moving until March. That made more sense, but I've also learned to lean not on my own understanding. Now looking back, I can see how God provided just the right house at just the right time.
Into this story comes our dear friends, Perry and Katie. Perry and Tim went to grad school together over ten years ago and have been close friends ever since then. Perry and Katie allowed us to live with them for several months eight years ago when we were moving back to Nashville (the second time). This Summer, they sold their house in TN and needed a place to leave while their new house was undergoing some major renovations. So, it was perfect the way we bought our house at just the time when they needed a place. I'm so thankful our house didn't sit empty for months but was a blessing to our friends who had blessed us in the same way many years before.
I also can see how God's timing was good in the purchase of our home when I look back at the craziness of our Fall. Hosting the Ugandans was an amazing journey and one I will always be thankful for. It was also all-consuming, and we would not have been able to shop for a home or travel to Tennessee while they were with us..
So, now I can see. From this place, it all makes sense, but ten months ago, I was filled with questions and anxiety and doubt. I'm so thankful God could see what I couldn't. I'm thankful again for His perfect provisions. I'm thankful to be reminded that He is God and I am not.
Again, I'm reminded of some lyrics by Sara Groves in her song, From this One Place:
From this one place I can't see very far
In this one moment I'm square in the dark
These are the things I will trust in my heart
You can see something else, something else
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