It is the first Monday in our new apartment. The boy is taking his allergy pill now, I just dropped Heather at work and Meaghan is attending her first day as a high schooler. The school year will officially begin in September, but she is taking part in a program called Freshman Connection which is designed to prepare young people during the summer for high school in the autumn. As I looked in the back seat to bid her farewell for the day, she wore an apprehensive smile. I locked eyes with her, gently put my hand on her knee and wished her a good day.
"I'm proud of you, sweetie."
She smiled back more confidently, opened the door, put her light jacket on and lifted her hood.
It is raining lightly outside. I awoke before the alarm clock to pray. As the sound of traffic passed by below, I thanked God for simple blessings. New neighbors to love in Jesus' name. Scattered friendships, some old, some new, that helped on Saturday with the incident-free move. Financial provision. Friends that bring over food though they are dog-tired themselves. A son and daughter that unpack dishes. A wife that rearranges the living room and lifts couches though every muscle in her body is aching. A family whose belief in God and love for others remains unshakable. A wife to pray with in the morning.
"Christ, be a light, illumine and guide me."
"May he guide you through the wilderness."
I can borrow some of that belief for the day. After work, we will return to the old apartment to clean. We lived there for this first year back in the States. It has been a strange year in which we experienced the joy of feeling on our feet again mixed with the confusion of wondering just who God is shaping us to be. As I take in the still-unopened boxes around me in our new flat, I wonder just where everything will find a home. And I feel likewise, like Christmas in June--the day after Boxing Day.
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