14 Years Later

 Having moving back to MI has made me think about all that has happened since last living here. So I thought I would make a list:

1.  I moved to OH to work at Cedarville University.
2.  While living in OH, I moved 3 times.
3.  I bought my first home.
4.  I learned what it was like to truly live in community.
5.  I made some life long friends, including a best friend.
6.  Had 4 major surgeries.
7.  Became “aunt” to some great friend’s children.
8.  Lost 2 dogs.
9.  Went through some major emotional and spriritual healing.
10. Watched some really good friends go through some really hard and unjust stuff.
11. Walked through tough things with a great friend.
12. Worked with some great colleagues at the University.
13. Lost my mom to Parkinson’s/dementia.
14. Packed up my parent’s entire home and moved my dad to MI to live with my brother and his family.
15. Got married.
16. Moved to VA.
17. Sang in a choir.
18. Sold my only home.
19. Watched my dad decline with Alzheimer’s.
20. Had my marriage completely crumble and end in divorce.
21. Had my heart broken.
22. Moved to PA.
23. Took a job at my Alma Mater.
24. Fulfilled my dad’s dream of one of his children becoming AD/Coach where he spent 45 years.
25. Experienced betrayal of those I worked with and trusted.
26. Had one of my nephews live with me for 3 semesters of college!
27. Watched another nephew graduate from high school.
28. Watched my best friend fall in love and get married.
29. Bought two cars.
30. Started writing a blog.
31. Experienced a lot of ups and downs in my relationship with Jesus.
32. Learned what it is like to live daily with physical pain.
33. Got my third dog, Jack!
34. Experienced a God-size miracle concerning medical bills.
35. Became a part of the BEAR Sisters and have had 2 reunions so far.

I am sure there are a lot more, but these made the “short list”. Since moving back a few days ago, I have purchased a fishing license and have caught three fish on my first trolling trip. I have gone from midnight and 3 am feedings, changing dirty diapers, watching babies learn how to walk, to now watching them learn how to drive, hang out with their friends, play video games and occasionally want to hang with their Aunt :)  Looking forward to being able to watch the younger two peeps in their high school athletic careers. Sad to have the other two go off to college - MN and VA. Couldn’t they have stayed closer to home!? : (

A Nomad

I was thinking the other day that I feel very much like I am living the nomadic lifestyle. I have lived in 7 different States and can’t remember how many times I have moved IN those States. I often wonder why it is that some people live in one spot their entire lives and others move around. Granted, some want to, while others (me) don’t want to. Some people love to travel. I don’t mind it, but always love to come back “home”, wherever that is!

A nomad is someone who doesn’t live in one place for very long; a wanderer. Often, it is a people group who moves to find fresh pastures for their livestock. Well, I have no livestock! Unless you count Jack! He is often lively, but is well stocked with food so no need to relocate for that reason.

The good about it:

1.  Well, you learn to downsize because after packing up the same stuff every time, you realize that you really don’t need or use it all. I, in all seriousness, could live in a “Tiny House”. I think I would love it! I have gone from a decent size 2 bedroom house of stuff to a 1 bedroom apartment size of stuff.

2.  You see some great States, landscapes and meet different people. I have lived in some beautiful locations, that’s for sure. 

3.  It has allowed me to make some GREAT friends! Lifelong friends.

4.  You learn different cultures. For example:  up north you know we like or don’t like you. We just tell you! But down south, we act like we like you and call you sweetie, but we bash you behind your back! : ) It is true.

The bad about it:

1.  You never feel settled. 

2.  You have to say goodbye to some of those friends, or at least goodbye to living and doing daily life with them.

3.  Moving is expensive!

4.  I hate packing and unpacking!!

Some of these moves are for good reason and some for not so good reasons or circumstances. I have had both. For some reason I don’t think God WANTS me to feel too setteled. Maybe He knows that the more unsettled I am, the more I have to rely  completely on Him. Maybe He knows that the more comfortable I am, the less I will need to depend on Him.  

I am also reminded lately that God does things for our good and His glory. It dawned on me in a different way recently, what that really means. I understand the “for my good” part. It is the other part that I have been thinking about lately. God is going to do things in our lives to bring Himself glory. so that we and others will see how good He is, how faithful He is, how kind He is, etc. So I started thinking about that. God isn’t going to do some half baked “thing” in our lives. He is going to do things that others will say, “only God...”. 

What hope does that give me? That’s the thing....He is going to do something in me that will not only be good FOR me, but will have people praising Him because only HE could have done something that amazing. I don’t know what it is going to be. Right now I just need a job! But for now I am doing my best to hang on to Him, trust Him, depend on Him, be willing to accept the tough for what good will come out of it, and to look forward to one day being able to, again, tell of the good things He has done.

In the meantime, I “wander” some more. 14 years ago I got a call from my brother to ask me to come live with them and help out with my nephews and niece. They had just had their third son and at the same time, adopted their second child....a girl : ) The babies were 6 months and a newborn. I am now going back to them in MI. The “babies” are now 15 and the older two will both be going to college in the Fall. A LOT has happened in those 14 years. But it is time to be back near family.

So for now, I hold up my hands to Jesus and say, your will, not mine. (Knowing soon would be great though)!