The Joys of Transition

So…we have been in Texas for almost a month, and the true effects of transition are beginning to set in. It seems as though the “honeymoon” stage of a new place and a new role have quickly come and gone, and we are facing the harsh reality that we know very few people here in Sweetwater and feel culturally out of place. Just this morning David and I ran to a nearby donut shop called Doris’s Sweet Shop, and as we entered an older gentleman gave me one of those “you’re not from around here” looks after noticing that I was wearing flip flops (or thongs, as some would say). And so, as you can imagine, our minds and hearts have been flooded with questions of doubt and confusion. Is this really where God wants us? Why would he lead us to a place where we feel so out-of-place?

I think for Adina the struggle has been that very few people in the church we are leading have called, come by, or made any significant effort to reach out to us. This is coupled with the realization that 1) there are no other stay-at-home mothers her age and that 2) there are no other families that really match our demographic. So we are feeling out-of-place in more ways than one. We keep telling ourselves that relationships take time and effort, and that we need to give ourselves (and others) a measure of grace. But that does not take away the heartache of missing good friends and all that is familiar.

We were privileged to attend our first official Sweetwater High School football game last night, which was quite the cultural experience. We were told to wear red, and we certainly were glad that we did. Connor lasted about a quarter and a half before getting bored and restless, and I spent the bulk of the first half trying to explain the basics of the game to David. But all in all, there was a small connection made with our community. Friday night football, down here in Texas, is a religion in crude form.

Today, I gave Adina “a day away” with her close friend Pam that she has known almost twenty years. Twenty years is a long time to know someone. They went over to the nearby metropolis of Abilene, Texas to eat, gab, and get pedicures (all that girly stuff) while us boys had “quality” time together. Keeping up with two energetic boys is exhausting and an exercise in patience and extending mercy. On more than one occasion during the day I wanted to resort to barking commands and making threats, but thankfully I resisted the temptation. My time with them (before saying goodnight and tucking them in bed) ended with David asking the deeply theological question, “Did people go to heaven before Jesus was born?” Leave it to my son to ask such a question five minutes before he needs to be in bed. The question led to an interesting discussion on whether people, before the time of Jesus, could know God without knowing about the Israelites or being an Israelite. Needless to say, my mind is tired.

Continue to pray that God will give us wisdom and discernment about our situation here. I know that the Lord has good things in store, and I firmly believe he wants to see significant transformation not only in us but also within the congregation we are here to lead. Pray that we will find our strength, peace, and rest in Him despite the immediate "joys of transition."