We've been back in the States for over two weeks now. Honestly, it's a little surreal. I had my first Starbucks right when we got off the plane and have been frequenting the one closest to my mother-in-law's house here in Bethesda. Since we've gotten back, our lives have consisted of getting cell phones, switching insurances, looking for places to live in Colorado, and seeing family and friends. I must admit, there have been more than a few times that I have been clueless about things going on the States - restaurants, TV shows, whatever - and had to blame it on being in Africa.
We had a great Christmas with my mother-in-law, Carol, and her husband, and rang in the New Year with some friends and their eight-month old twin girls. It has been nice to celebrate the holidays in cold weather, though. Save the cold that I got going from 90 degrees to 17 degrees in a 24-hour span, bundling up for the first time in almost three years has been a more welcome change than I thought it would be.
We head out to Colorado in a few weeks, however, and it's more than a little unnerving. Both Christina and I know for sure that it was time to leave South Africa, and that Colorado is where we need to go next. But that's about all we've got right now. We're not really sure how long Colorado is going to be part of our lives, or what really is next. That's really what this next step is for, to search the heart of God and listen to what He's got for us, but it seems like He's been revealing what He has for us in smaller increments all the time.
I guess this means that the dependence level in that area has to increase from here on out. This requires much more than an occasional "check-in" to make sure that God's still there and we're doing OK. This requires an ongoing, every day, leaning on Him, not just for the small stuff, but for the big stuff as well. Honestly, my flesh isn't such a big fan of this approach, especially when it becomes my reality. Ironically, I remember how many times I've preached that to my FYM students - our infamous "ATL" (Ask The Lord) exercises - so now it seems like it's time to practice what we preach.
Gotta love God's sense of humor sometimes, huh?
