What does it feel like to have left home?
My time of goodbyes and packing was a whirlwind. I went from one thing to the next, trying to soak it in. The goodbyes were sweet, though hard, and those last hugs meant so much to me.
I was quiet for most of the trip down here to Croatia. It's hard to put into words what it feels like. So I sat, looked out the window of the car, with Kaylee on my lap, and let my thoughts wander. I needed that. I'm an internal processor, so it takes a bit to work everything through inside before I can talk about it much.
We had a hiccup in our trip when our car suddenly stopped running on the highway. Everything just turned off, as if somebody had flipped a switch. After a long saga of events, we ended up being towed to a town called Zadar and staying there for three days, while some kind repairmen worked on our car. (They had replace two electronic sensors, and now, thankfully, it's running fine!)
In some ways, we could see the Lord's planning in this. It definitely wouldn't have been our way of doing things, but I think it was good for all of us to really slow down, and depend on the Lord for His care and provision. He absolutely came through!
Today, I can say, I feel at peace. I finally seem to be back to my "normal self". The sunshine and the sound of crickets are doing me good. The quiet of the island of Brac gives me space to rest. I drank french-press coffee this morning with my mom, and the caffeine made me all energetic and chatty. This is normal.
Before I left home, I wanted to capture my house in a way that would bring me right back there whenever I looked at the photos. That helped. I see those photos today, and yes, there is a part of me that already wants to go back, but the other part of me just looks at those photos with fondness. I smile. That home will be there, and I will return! I will be different, but my house will stay the same. Those memories I have there will stay there, and they will stay with me too.
God calls us to trust Him. And so I will. I can't expect or fully know what will be ahead. I can't plan it all, as much as I would like to. Chicago will be an adventure; one I will take with Him!
What I do know, is that this next week in Croatia is a time of rest, and I take it as a blessing. God didn't have to do that, but He did! He knew it would take me a bit to transition, so He gave me this week. He's a good Father!
My time of goodbyes and packing was a whirlwind. I went from one thing to the next, trying to soak it in. The goodbyes were sweet, though hard, and those last hugs meant so much to me.
I was quiet for most of the trip down here to Croatia. It's hard to put into words what it feels like. So I sat, looked out the window of the car, with Kaylee on my lap, and let my thoughts wander. I needed that. I'm an internal processor, so it takes a bit to work everything through inside before I can talk about it much.
We had a hiccup in our trip when our car suddenly stopped running on the highway. Everything just turned off, as if somebody had flipped a switch. After a long saga of events, we ended up being towed to a town called Zadar and staying there for three days, while some kind repairmen worked on our car. (They had replace two electronic sensors, and now, thankfully, it's running fine!)
In some ways, we could see the Lord's planning in this. It definitely wouldn't have been our way of doing things, but I think it was good for all of us to really slow down, and depend on the Lord for His care and provision. He absolutely came through!
Today, I can say, I feel at peace. I finally seem to be back to my "normal self". The sunshine and the sound of crickets are doing me good. The quiet of the island of Brac gives me space to rest. I drank french-press coffee this morning with my mom, and the caffeine made me all energetic and chatty. This is normal.
Before I left home, I wanted to capture my house in a way that would bring me right back there whenever I looked at the photos. That helped. I see those photos today, and yes, there is a part of me that already wants to go back, but the other part of me just looks at those photos with fondness. I smile. That home will be there, and I will return! I will be different, but my house will stay the same. Those memories I have there will stay there, and they will stay with me too.
God calls us to trust Him. And so I will. I can't expect or fully know what will be ahead. I can't plan it all, as much as I would like to. Chicago will be an adventure; one I will take with Him!
What I do know, is that this next week in Croatia is a time of rest, and I take it as a blessing. God didn't have to do that, but He did! He knew it would take me a bit to transition, so He gave me this week. He's a good Father!
Yes, you will return! It won't be long now. Does it seem like a long time since you've been there? I can just see you sitting out on the porch at the little table, with Kaylee surely laying nearby! I look forward to that!
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