Abundant Blessings
Numerous times since Matt and I have moved into our home here at camp, we have talked about how truly blessed we are. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that we are abundantly blessed.
Think about it. We are newly married. We went on a wonderful honeymoon that I will remember for the rest of my life! And as newlyweds, our living and working situations are wonderful!
We get to work at the same place, and we don't ever have to drive to work.
We get to witness beautiful sunrises over the hills every morning...except for when it is cloudy/misty/foggy. But then I can pretend I live in Ireland. Or the English countryside. And I do (pretend, that is).
We have a beautiful house with plenty of storage, and we don't have to pay for it.
We live in a loving, supportive community.
We have friends all around us, and all of them within walking distance.
Our bosses care about our marriage and go to great lengths to protect it.
Our meals are provided a lot of the time.
I could go on and on. I just love living here! This afternoon as I was walking home from work I decided to stop by my friend's house to ask her a question and visit briefly. She and her husband have chickens and those chickens lay eggs, which they let us have! They are cheaper than the grocery store and I feel good knowing that there are no chemicals or weird things in the eggs. I feel good knowing that the chickens are well taken care of. But I love the fact that I can stop by a friend's house to ask about eggs and then be able to visit for 45 minutes. It makes me feel like I don't live in 2010.
There are also some pear trees around camp (Well, 2. And they are right next to each other.). Last week I climbed up in them and shook them to get the pears out! I came home with 15 pears without paying a single cent (although I did get some scratches and a bruise), and that night I made pear meringue pie with the pears I got from the trees and the eggs we collected from our friends' chickens. It was just so...satisfying! And the pie was delish!
So I think I have made my point that I feel like Matt and I are blessed beyond measure. Yes, things can be hard sometimes, but when it comes down to it...wow.
Recently, a family I went to church with in college moved to Haiti to share the love of the Lord. I have read their blog for years now, and it's always been interesting. She always has something to say, and she has such a gift for words and story telling! Her family is hilarious, and she had some wonderful ideas for being a good steward, but more than those things, her blog was honest and raw and filled with such wisdom! Now that they have moved to Haiti, her posts are heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.
And now more than ever, I realize that my clean house and American life are luxurious compared to the lives of those they live with in Haiti, and most people around the world. By American standards, Matt and I don't amount to much, but America has some pretty "high" standards.
I know Matt and I will not always be here. At some point, the Lord will call us somewhere else. And up until recently, I never really thought much about where that would be. I never even considered anything other than the US. Now I'm not saying we are going to move to India and never be heard from again, but I do realize that I have to be prepared for whatever God asks us to do. He may not call us to another country. He may call us to ministry here in the States as He has for years now. But I don't know.
Just some things to think about.
P.S. - Can you tell I went into work at 6:30 this morning? I sure can...
Think about it. We are newly married. We went on a wonderful honeymoon that I will remember for the rest of my life! And as newlyweds, our living and working situations are wonderful!
We get to work at the same place, and we don't ever have to drive to work.
We get to witness beautiful sunrises over the hills every morning...except for when it is cloudy/misty/foggy. But then I can pretend I live in Ireland. Or the English countryside. And I do (pretend, that is).
We have a beautiful house with plenty of storage, and we don't have to pay for it.
We live in a loving, supportive community.
We have friends all around us, and all of them within walking distance.
Our bosses care about our marriage and go to great lengths to protect it.
Our meals are provided a lot of the time.
I could go on and on. I just love living here! This afternoon as I was walking home from work I decided to stop by my friend's house to ask her a question and visit briefly. She and her husband have chickens and those chickens lay eggs, which they let us have! They are cheaper than the grocery store and I feel good knowing that there are no chemicals or weird things in the eggs. I feel good knowing that the chickens are well taken care of. But I love the fact that I can stop by a friend's house to ask about eggs and then be able to visit for 45 minutes. It makes me feel like I don't live in 2010.
There are also some pear trees around camp (Well, 2. And they are right next to each other.). Last week I climbed up in them and shook them to get the pears out! I came home with 15 pears without paying a single cent (although I did get some scratches and a bruise), and that night I made pear meringue pie with the pears I got from the trees and the eggs we collected from our friends' chickens. It was just so...satisfying! And the pie was delish!
So I think I have made my point that I feel like Matt and I are blessed beyond measure. Yes, things can be hard sometimes, but when it comes down to it...wow.
Recently, a family I went to church with in college moved to Haiti to share the love of the Lord. I have read their blog for years now, and it's always been interesting. She always has something to say, and she has such a gift for words and story telling! Her family is hilarious, and she had some wonderful ideas for being a good steward, but more than those things, her blog was honest and raw and filled with such wisdom! Now that they have moved to Haiti, her posts are heartbreaking and inspiring all at the same time.
And now more than ever, I realize that my clean house and American life are luxurious compared to the lives of those they live with in Haiti, and most people around the world. By American standards, Matt and I don't amount to much, but America has some pretty "high" standards.
I know Matt and I will not always be here. At some point, the Lord will call us somewhere else. And up until recently, I never really thought much about where that would be. I never even considered anything other than the US. Now I'm not saying we are going to move to India and never be heard from again, but I do realize that I have to be prepared for whatever God asks us to do. He may not call us to another country. He may call us to ministry here in the States as He has for years now. But I don't know.
Just some things to think about.
P.S. - Can you tell I went into work at 6:30 this morning? I sure can...
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