Settling In

Phase one is complete. We are no longer homeowners and it is both exhilarating and terrifying. The last few weeks have honestly been some of the hardest of my life, but in a very sweet and precious way. It has been physically and emotionally exhausting, yet the Lord has been so tender and so evident.

We have purged a large part of our possessions, though there are still many to go. We did end up renting a storage unit which is filled mostly with sentimental things. There are items like the outfits that our children wore home from the hospital when they were born, the special Christmas decorations that I can't let go of just yet, the box of cards and notes that Ryan and I have exchanged through the years- those types of things. We have promised one another that we will not keep the storage unit long term, so we're planning to go back through it in a few months. Then we will re-evaluate, purge again, and organize it into an amount that can be stored in our parent's homes.

We are now living in a 3 bedroom apartment on the campus of Southeastern Seminary. They were gracious enough to let us rent the unit short term. We have brought many of the household goods we need for these months, and I guess we'll just give them away when it's time to leave. I think that's gonna be weird. I mean, opening up the linen closet and giving away the towels, the sheets, and the pillows? Or handing someone our bowls and cups and pots and pans. It's a little freaky. But it's just stuff. Or at least that's what I keep telling myself. And most of the time, I believe it.

Apartment living is a big adjustment, but it's fun. The kids had an instant community and have spent their afternoons running around like yard apes with the other neighborhood kiddos. I admit that the walls sometimes feel a little tight for me, but then I remember what our goal is and I can usually talk myself off of the ledge.

I think that the hardest part for me has been adjusting to one table again. Since we homeschool, we spend much of our day around a table. For the last few years, we have had multiple tables. So, I could have 3 at one table working independently, while I worked with another one at another table. Then, we had a 3rd table that was waiting for us, all cleared off, when it was time to eat lunch. Now, we're re-adjusting to one table to serve every function for which one might need a table.

I'll admit, I cried over the dang tables on Sunday night when, in the middle of my weekly planning, the kids started clamoring for food. This meant I had to put away my resources, which were spread all over, so that they could have a place to eat. Before I knew what was happening, I lost it and then I felt so stupid. But, the bottom line is, it's hard and it's sometimes inconvenient, and I am a selfish sinner who didn't want to share my table. Which, I'm sure, will soon be the least of my "inconveniences."

We continue to covet your prayers as we continue this process. It is our plan to move out of this apartment the last weekend in March and then we will be "homeless" until we report for our training in July. While we are terrified to not have our own place, we are excited about having the time to travel, visit extended family, and relax with our own little family. I can truly say that the prayers of God's people have helped us to survive this past 2 weeks with overwhelming grace.