There and Back Again...

I feel like since technically my two littles are still so little this could be called a Hobbit's Tale but I've always been a little sensitive about my feet looking like those of a hobbit so we'll just leave it at the title.

A year ago today we were driving to Colorado, thinking that God was calling us to a new adventure...and He was; it just happened to be back in Maryland. Sometimes God has a funny way of helping us become holy. I'm sitting next to a certain little man who is eating Cheerios like he might run out and needs to store up for winter; and I keep thinking about how much we have been given in this past year.

To say this last year has been hard would be an understatement but to say that it has also been one filled with extreme blessings would be the truth. I think it will be many years, or maybe never, before I will be able to look at this year and only see blessings but that's why I'm not God. I'm certainly far from perfect. But I feel like maybe I'll be a little introspective and spend some time praying for those blessings to overshadow any of the trials.

I was a month away from my due date with Judah and we were driving across country with an 18 month old (G) and a dog (Memphis) that struggles with being car sick. A bad scenario for Marty. But shockingly we made it to Colorado in less than three days and I will solidly state for the rest of my days that Marty stopped to go to the bathroom more than I did! But the trip back was a different story because we had another human in the car, and that little human had to eat every 4 to 5 hours. And there was a different feeling driving for a second time across the country with our littles. But the in between and settling back in is where there are bittersweet memories. It was a hard year, I don't think Marty and I could explain it and I don't think anyone could really understand if we tried. So, I guess in a way this last year was about marriage for me. I look at this year and am so happy I married who I married. It was hard and we struggled (I think that for anyone who has had to change careers for their family knows it's a challenge) but we made it. And we just kept focusing on our family and our future. Our end goal was simple: to make the best decisions we could for our family.

We did and we were met with a lot of disapproval from family and friends but they didn't see our end goal, and we had to keep that in mind.  I'm sure to the outside world (and our "inside" world of family) we looked crazy and irresponsible moving our family across country twice, but I really was able to reflect on the story of Abraham and God calling him and his family out of their home and how he went, trusting blindly.  I'm sure we kind of looked like a nomad family...and there were days we felt like it too...but it was awesome to see (even during the struggles) God working in our family.  It was amazing to really be in a place where we HAD to trust God. One year made a huge difference in our family, I see that everyday. And everyday I am thankful for the Grace we have been given to live this adventure.

I know, I know...not such a lighthearted blog...but a good reflection for me.  And just in case you were wondering what my kids do while I sit introspectively...wonder no more...


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