Ten states between us. Three since being married.
Sometimes I forget where my here is.
In the middle of a three week vacation to Minnesota. The here that started us as a couple. Our sweet home by Minnehaha creek and Lake Nokomis. A world ago.
Our here that was Seattle. Coffee shops and Olympic mountains. Seminary and church planting.
Our current here– western Pennsylvania. Almost one year. Beautiful rolling hills and small towns. Raising the jolly rancher…oh wait it’s jolly roger. Land of my husbands forefathers.
Here. Its a word that sometimes brings grieving for not having one here. And sometimes brings excitement for new adventures of the heres I don’t yet know.
A deep breath. A rock that is higher than I. A here that is unchanging.
Happy Friday! I’m participating in Five Minute Friday.
We are given a prompt- this week was Here. Five minutes to write. No editing and second guessing. Then you encourage the person before you.
Read more here!
“A here that is unchanging.” Wow..
Cara- Thank you. I’m going to head to check out your blog!
Checking in from 5-Minute Friday. Feel free to browse my blog: cuoreq.wordpress.com
Melanie, I totally get it. I grew up in Delaware and now live in Oklahoma. Although I have been here for 5 years now, I sometimes still feel torn between this here and the [t]here that I miss sometimes. I love that you mention the rock that is higher than I as a here that is unchanging. He is our constant one & all the comfort that we need. Blessings, sister!
Jen- Thank you so much for commenting and encouraging. I guess there is always the tension of belonging two places 🙂 Somedays I see the rock more clearly than others.
You used to live by Minnehaha and Nokomis??? Seriously? So did we! That’s where we lived about 10 years ago. I went to a church down the street and I became a Christian there as a result of a women’s Bible study. The pastor of that church baptized me. He died the following spring after a furious one-year battle with cancer. Which brings me to the grieving part. I left that church because we moved further away and I didn’t like the new pastor’s style. Our “here” becomes “there” and we can never go back.
When my parents sold their old house, I grieved that as a loss. I realized later that I didn’t actually grieve the loss of the house as I did the loss of that part of my childhood and the innocence associated with it. That was a time when my parents’ relationship seemed functional and even happy/healthy. My sister learned to ride her bike there, and I drew all over the walls of my bedroom. My mom would collect horse poop from the riding path near the beach for her roses. Good times. I still have the wonderful memories and some photos. We can go back to a “here” in terms of geography but we can’t go back in time or erase painful parts of relationships.
I also have many places I have called home or “here”. My parents are on their 4th house and I moved to a different continent. I think having a different “here” for different parts of my life helps me come to terms with the fact that the past is gone and I can never go back. It forces me to live in the present, the current “here” for 2 reasons: I realize it is fleeting and I’d better live it now while I am here, and it pushes me to grieve, let it go, and find closure on the past. I don’t know if it makes sense to other readers.
I love our current house, our current neighborhood and neighbors, our current church. I want to stay here for a long time for practical reasons and emotional ones. Moving (and grieving) is exhausting for one. I also hope to be able to stay in one place long enough to take root and actually bear fruit in the spiritual sense. I hope our season of moving is done, at least for a while. I want to build long-lasting relationships. I want to focus my energy on growing in God.
Hi Alex! Yes we lived at 50th and 18th ave. From 1997 to 2002. I loved that area. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Places do hold a lot of significance and memory. I like how you say that leaving them and grieving forces you to live in the present.
Thank you for always engaging!!
Dropping in from 5 Minute Friday from http://www.thejourneyofone.com LOVED your post about “here”. I think I must be the complete opposite of you. I grew up 60 miles south of where I am today. Never moved to a new state and barely to a new city. I do love traveling, though, and hope to someday live in a cooler climate.
I see that you love Jesus and chai… so we do have some things in common 🙂
Sheila- Thank you for stopping by and for your encouragement. Many days being in a 60 mile radius sounds wonderful! I know that God writes both stories beautifully. I bet Jesus and chai is a springboard to many more things in common 🙂
I love how you covered the many places of here! But your last line is one to note in my journal and reflect on some more: “A rock that is higher than I. A here that is unchanging.”
Thank you for this!
PS That is an amazing picture to go along with your post. I really appreciate visuals. 🙂
Thank you Diana! This is my third week doing five minute fridays and I am loving them- and loving discovering the community. Thank you for stopping by.
Amen and Praises for the Rock that is Higher and always HERE!!
Amen. Thank you for seeking that Rock alongside me.
While visiting, I found we have something else in common. I’m also a pastor’s wife:)) Love that we’ve connected.
I also love this post’s closing comment: “A here that is unchanging.” So grateful…
I subscribed to your blog, found you on FB and Pinterest. I’ll look forward to getting better acquainted.
Thank you Stefanie! Your words are so encouraging- thank you for sharing that gift.
Stopping over from the 5 Minute Friday. I’ve lived in California all my life and don’t know what it’s like to move around. Thankful that the Lord placed me here for a reason. Learning to enjoy life in the here and now!
Barbie- Thank you! I’ve been on vacation this past week and have been a bit hit or miss with replying. I love the beautiful stories he writes through all kinds of circumstances.