Well, we moved...again. Except this time it seems a bit on the permanent side.
We got back from China sometime the end of last November which means it's almost been a year! How is that even possible!!?
We came back and spend about 9 days with our very good friends in California. Then we were in Minnesota with Matt's family for about a month. Then we were with my family for 5 months and from there we moved into my brothers house for the summer.
We got here to Colorado Springs at the end of August. We then lived in guest housing for two weeks and then we moved into temporary housing for about 2 months and NOW we're in our own Hotel apartment! Which includes: a kitchen; that is not in a bathroom, two bathrooms and three large rooms and an amazing view of Pikes Peak.
Wheew! Makes me tired just writing all that. It has been such a hard and crazy year, but completely filled with Gods unending faithfulness.
When we moved in here though I cried and I cried (you're probably wondering why the heck I cry so much, well people, that is just me) and I couldn't figure out what my problem was until I had a little processing session with a close friend of mine. She started asking me how our new place was and guess what....I stared crying.....yea, what's new.
So I told her "I honestly don't know what's wrong with me" and she replied to me with all the grace and love a true friend can have " Well, saying yes to one thing is saying no to another."
It wasn't in that moment that the statement hit me, but it just kept rolling around in my head and then BAM, I got it.
Our life didn't really start here in the States till about two months ago. We were in limbo for almost a whole year, which we needed, but it kept culture shock and this huge move we've made at bay. But moving into this place felt like all the transition and limbo world came to an abrupt halt and we made a statement saying "We're staying!"
It just hit me, WE'RE STAYING. This is it, it's real, this is your home and you're gonna be here for a while. Maybe even a long while.
Saying yes to one thing is saying no to another.
We're saying yes to the States, we're saying yes to this base and we're saying no to going back to China.
The enormity of the commitment of staying isn't something we've faced for a while. Even through all of Lily's adoption we PRAYED we would be leaving. Everyone knew there was an end in sight. Here though I feel like God is asking us to put down roots. Roots to me translates-no end in sight.
I love it here. I love the people, the community and all that God is doing in unreached Nations through this base, but staying without an end in site scares the crap outta me.
I have always known I would go and our life has been such a whirlwind from the very beginning. There's always been moving in our future, I honestly don't know what the heck roots even looks like and quite frankly I'm scared of the word BOREDOM and monotony.
Our life has been kinda like a frantic rush from one thing or another. Very fast paced and that has made us who we are, but now things are changing and my heart knew that before my mind did.
God has a new plan of action for us, a new way of looking at life, a new way of living life.
God gave me a picture in church a couple weeks ago of the ground breaking open and one half of it shifting up. I saw myself climb up to the higher level of ground and I saw wide open space in every direction in front of me. God spoke to me about this being the next level that he's called us to.
We by God's mercy and grace have made it to the next level, but now it's a whole new ball game. Kinda like when you're playing a video game and you get to that next level and nothing is the same and you have to learn by repetition what this new level is about.
Monotony means, in part, repetition.
So this is a thing God is doing in us, but I also feel like this might really relate to some of you as well. The thing I feel God saying is that HE will equip us with the tools and resources to take on this new level. Whatever it is that you need from God in this next season why not ask him? He's doing a new thing and he wants you to know that he's got your back! You are not alone on this new plateau, but there is excitement and joy. Don't be afraid of what he's calling you to do, he will equip you.
So I'm stuck in bed with the flu, but it's kinda nice to have an excuse to stop, rest and process. So thanks for letting me do that. Let's go out like courageous warriors and conquer these new plateaus!
