Rest for the Weary

I've been quite negligent in my writing lately. I am out of practice and I am thinking this post will show it! I have been writing recipes this summer for a website. Unfortunately, I haven't published any of them because I am having terrible writer's block over the copy. (Copy is journalism speak for the story/information/whatever on the page- in this case, the stuff that goes with the recipe). Also, I am still recovering from a pretty bad burn. During the two years that George was searching for a job, all but one of the family I grew up in ceased to be part of our lives. We were not just forsaken, we were insulted and attacked in our "darkest hour." It has come to rights since- as right as it will ever be- and it has taught me a lot about mercy and grace. But that's not even the burn I'm talking about. I had a friend who I relied on quite heavily during that time. Many of my oldest and dearest friends were quite a long distance away, people I don't get to see but once or twice a year, s0 I leaned more and more on a friend who was closer to me geographically. I pretty much signed her up to be my best friend and didn't realize she was just being polite. It ended badly, just with a big unexpected explosion on the friend's part and a lot of embarrassment and sadness on my part. Anyway, because of how badly things went last time I have mostly opted to internalize recent stress. I have also been on a low dosage of anxiety medication and that has helped hugely.

But today we had good news. Great news! And I am hoping the blessings God has given our family will wash over me and renew me and my spirit.

We're staying in Des Moines. And I have to say, I love Des Moines. I love that I have yet to find an ounce of pretension in this city. I love that people are friendly but that they're sincere. I can't imagine ever mistaking politeness for friendship in the people I have met here. I love that walking down the street isn't hard to distinguish from a fashion show. I love that no one has a preconceived idea of who I am as a "Southerner-" they're neither ready to roll their eyes nor expecting to be wowed. I love that there are seasons and that my closet now necessitates both snow boots and flip flops and that I get equal wear from both. I love that I can get where I need to go without being exhausted and anxiety ridden from traffic. I love that we have both a beach and an outdoor ice skating rink, and that I have been both to the ballet and to an eighteenth century barn still stocked with hay, horses, pigs, and cows, and that all of these destinations are within ten minutes of my home! I really can't imagine liking a place more. I do miss my friends from far away, but you are all welcome here any time.

I have hopes that the bulk of the anxiety I have felt from homeschooling and from fear of whether or not we will be able to buy groceries in a month will be gone now and that I will be able to write more. But at least for today, there is peace and joy in my heart. Yes, we can and do have this every day because of Christ, but we all know that there are realistic, legitimate, and practical concerns that need answers. We are so grateful for the answer the Lord has given us today. I just wanted to check in and say that we're staying in Des Moines and that we're so happy. God is good no matter what, but today it is easy to believe.