We Got Our Keys!!!

We got our keys today.  Our new house.  A place of our own.  Home.  Neighbors to greet us.  Our son playing in the street with the neighbor boys for hours.  Dinner brought to our doorstep.  New and old friends lending a hand to move.  We. Are. Grateful.


We've been in transition since March, seven months, and time has shown me a few things that have been lessons for our whole family.  Here's my top seven (in no particular order):


1) Moving with children (elementary-aged) is hard, really hard (e.g. you feel everything they do and want to protect them as much as you can from it being hard), but rewarding.
2) Put yourself out there when meeting people, or you become isolated and lonely. 
3) Wait and wait and wait...it will be worth it in the long run.
4) When plans seem to divert you, enjoy the scenery in the meantime. The landscape before you may be more than a drive-by; it may be where you end up. 
5) Find a balance between what you left behind and what you're embracing in the now.  Both are sacred.  Both are special.  Invest in the important of today. 
6) Be grateful for those friends who you've said goodbye to that have checked in, stayed in touch, written letters and have cared.  Be grateful for those new friends who have welcomed you with open arms into this unknown land.  Both mean more than most will ever know.   
7) Take a risk!  Trust the Lord's hand to carry you to safety in His arms even when life is hairy and chaotic. 


My eyes are now open more than ever before to those going through major life transitions, and I understand the simple gestures that speak volumes to the soul. 


Some of the best parts of the past seven months have been spending quality time under the roof of my in-laws and experiencing their generosity, and showing the children that instant gratification is not what life is about.  Waiting.  Gaining perspective.  Experiencing life's simple joys.  Patience.  Family's love.  God's provision and care. That's what life is about.