This whole renovation thing will be so worth it when it is all done, but there have been quite a few hiccups along the way (mostly because of the shoddy original work on the house), and today I have just been filled with anxiety about whether or not the important things will be done before our belongings arrive on Friday. Moments like these remind me that the Lord loves me and is aware of me. And that he puts people like Lupita and Rudy in my path, who already feel like family.
I love being reminded how much our Father in Heaven is aware of each one of us. As I study the scriptures and the words of the prophets each day, it gives me added peace and inspiration. I love this quote that I say the other day by Elder David A. Bednar:
"Faithfulness is not foolishness or fanaticism. Rather, it is trusting and placing our confidence in Jesus Christ as our Savior, on His name and in His Promises."
And then the other day in my study I found this quote by Elder Deiter F. Uchtdorf:
"The Lord's way is not to sit at the side of the stream and wait for the water to pass before we cross. It is to come together, roll up our sleeves, go to work and build a bridge or a boat to cross the waters of our challenges."
And then I read this book the other day - or rather, I listened to it while I put together cabinet bases for our kitchen. It is called This is Where You Belong: The Art and Science of Loving the Place You Live by Melody Warnick. It really struck home with me, and not just because we just made a major move for our family. Here is my Goodreads.com review:
Melody Warnick, was convinced that moving was just her "thing," but on move #6 from Austin, Texas, to Blacksburg, Virginia, she finds herself regretting her decision and wondering how on earth she can make a home for herself and her family in this small town. It leads her to study the science of "place attachment" and embark on a "love where you live" experiment. As she takes you through her personal journey, she teaches about the different things that we can do to become attached to the place where we live - no matter where or what it is like.
I truly enjoyed this, and having moved MANY times in my life (I have lived in ten states and two countries, and since I have been married, we have moved 12 times), I can completely validate so much of what she says. For me, the key has always been finding "my people," which I can usually do in three places - church, a book club, and volunteering at the elementary school. I have also learned to INVITE - it is a huge thing, and helps you establish long lasting friendships as you serve and allow others to serve you.
Lastly, I always make a point to search out the unique and wonderful places to visit and things to do where I am, and then try to do them. When I lived in Monterey, California, we knew we would only be there for 1 1/2 years, so I made a list and we checked them off one by one. Loving where you live is intentional, and it takes effort, but it can happen, and it can happen much faster than the 3-5 average years - for me I can get feel it in less than a year, but it takes work and an open mind to new and different beautiful things.
One other really special blessing for me, this past week in particular, was having book club. When I first arrived here in San Antonio, I asked if there was a local book club, and when I found out there wasn't, I found a bunch of ladies from church who were interested in getting one started, and we did. Our first meeting was on Tuesday, and what a huge balm to my soul. There is nothing quite like getting together with a group of women and laughing, talking and eating - and talking about books makes it even better. I immediately felt truly at home here, even though I am still not living in my home. It is all about finding your people and making your place a place you belong. It was one more blessing at a time when I really needed it.