Stop the world, I want to get off.

My family and I have had a whirl of a time over the past 2 years. We are ready for life to be a little ordinary.

In that time we have:

• Spent 6 months deciding to move; all that time keeping it from our friends.
• Spent 8 months living with those friends knowing we were moving.
• We have moved 6 hours from the place that was home for nearly 14 years.
• I have finished a College course.
• Started in a new Church which is very different from our old one; and the shock was bigger than we thought.
• Grieved the loss of a friend who was only our age (38 years old).
• My husband took his Nan's funeral.
  
• Started our girls at a new School.
• Tried to make links with a new community.
• My DH is Chairman of Directors for a local Charity; and is finding out that not all the information was given to him at the time of making that decision. And he is spending a lot of time putting out fires started by others!
  
• I have started work which involves planning daily activities for 4 year olds. I feel inadequate for the job.
  
• We have started to be a family that gives more hospitality.
• We have had to come up with some inventive ways of parenting one of our girls who can have periods of explosive tempers which can last for weeks.
• We have suffered disappointment from friends.
  
• We have not had proper rest or holiday in that time.
• We have major decisions to make about our children.
  

BUT

• We are beginning to realise that we need the power of God to get us through the things life throws at us.
  
• My husband and I have come to a better understanding of each other.
• We are working through the rubbish from previous years of marriage.
• We have the privilege of living near my brother and his family, and the joy that has brought us.
• We are able to see our parents more often.
• We live in a beautiful part of the country.
• We have real and wonderful friendships in many parts of our country.
• We have learnt that when God changes us to make us more like Christ it isn't all pink and fluffy.
• We have been blessed with financial gain via a bequest.
• A 20-year long-distance friendship hasn't imploded because we now live in the same town and my husband is their pastor.
• I have been blessed by Internet-friendships and deepening of Real Life ones.
  

Life is full of pluses and minuses. I am learning that God made rest for a reason; we can't function endlessly without taking 'time out' like Jesus did. I have also learnt that life needs an element of pure silliness for its own sake. All serious stuff is not good for the soul. I am tired but am realising that some of that is I don't rest even in the storm. I look at the storm and not at Jesus. A garden needs cultivating, right? Well, so does the need to be a calm person. I need to spend time with God, time with friends, time by myself, my way of thinking in tough times needs to change as well. God is able though and nothing is a surprise to Him.