Changes

On December 21st, Dan and I will have been here in this area and church for 4 years.  Even though it feels like forever, it really hasn't been that long at all.  We were chatting yesterday and I said, it feels like so much has changed in my life in a really short amount of time.

Four years ago:

• I had just finished homeschooling Emily for 8th grade and she was in her first year of 9th grade.
• Stephen was living at home and going to community college.
• Nathan was working at a job he excelled in and involved in a fire department he loved.
• I had zero joint/knee issues.
• We had been serving in a church for 10 years.
• I was in an area where I had friends that went back to my college days since many had settled in that area.
• We lived in a large, 2-story, 5 bedroom home.

In moving here, our son left home to finish his community college.  I have had nothing but physical problems between both knees and my shoulder.  This area is so very different from our old area.  I miss my network of friends I had outside of the church.  All three of my kids have struggled since we've been here with fitting in and making friends.  Finally, we downsized into a much smaller modular home.

Lots and lots of changes.  I don't always like change and often, when we look back on different memories, we sanitize them.  We tend to forget the bad and only remember the good.  Yet, no part of our lives are perfect.

This has been a tumultuous four years in terms of change, but it hasn't been all bad.  We have made new friends.  God has taught my children lessons through their struggles.  I am learning that I'm not bionic and need to slow down a bit.  Our new church is a very spiritually healthy group of people.  Dan is growing in areas he needed to and the same is true of me. 

Some day when we look back on this experience here, I'm sure we will remember the good parts and the bad bits will fade away.  Change isn't easy but often, it can be exactly what you need!