Monday, December 17, 2018

CHANGIN’ LODGIN’S



Transition may not be a bad word, but we’ve come to think of it as a very time-consuming bit of hard labor. Outcomes are invariably good, but not necessarily easy. It could be the “old dogs – new tricks” syndrome. Whatever it be called, it also can be exhausting.

Wayne and I moved from West Virginia to Alabama a month ago. To say everything is still in transition is an understatement. But we are settling in…sort of.  When all our worldly belongings are unpacked from stacks of boxes in the garage, we might begin to look at the culture shock. Everything is new – we are old. Yep, that’s transition.

The newly designed apartment in the lower floor of our daughter’s home is nearing completion. We have moved down from a guest room to our own quarters, in spite of two lacking features – a kitchen sink and a bathroom sink. The bathroom sink is being installed today, the kitchen sink may not materialize until after the new year. Having full access to the upper floors of the house means the latter is a mere inconvenience. And eating upstairs has full advantages, as well – like being with family and a very capable cook.

Nonetheless, the heart wants what the heart wants. A place to call its own, with all those seemingly indispensable quirks and conveniences we call home. In other words, independence - getting into the groove of doing things as you’ve been accustomed to doing them; maybe not the right way, but the way you know best.

At church yesterday, someone asked Wayne if he missed the farm. His answer: “Every minute.” This was always going to be harder on him, as he has always been more invested in the land. After all, he planted the gardens and the orchard (some 40 apple trees), kept up the grounds and built the “Barn” where we lived for 20 years. It was for both of us an idyllic existence. But time and health issues caught up with us, and here we are beginning our new adventure.

We are indeed grateful for the blessings that bring us here. And we pray for patience to endure these mere inconveniences that fit in the ‘transition’ bucket. As always, the Lord knows, the Lord will provide. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

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