A Few Little Things | Kara

So on Wednesdays and Saturdays Josh and I plan to just report in on what's up in our lives.  We'll try to be deep or interesting or informative all the rest of the days - we promise!

My life is... different. That's the best adjective I've got right now. I count four major life transitions that I've made all at once over the past six months - new city, new job, new role at home (I work full-time... what?), new role in church (Church Planter! as opposed to Wannabe-Church Planter). And these transitions follow closely on the heels of the transition to motherhood - which is a big one. Oh - and right before that my best friend's husband (who was also a very close friend of mine, but the defining relationship is that with my best friend) died.

All of that adds up to a very different-looking life.

I work a lot and apologize to my husband about needing to "stay late at the office" instead of being the forgiving spouse on the phone who says, "I completely understand. You're doing a great job!"

And I get updates from Josh about Bolt's new signs (he just learned "all done" recently - SO FREAKIN' CUTE!) and word attempts (Mommy says "up up up!" and Bolt says, "ud ud ud!") instead of giving the updates to Josh.

I ride a subway, and pay metered parking, and I even parallel park!

I read Dr. Seuss almost every day. Josh asked if I was trying to teach Bolt a political science lesson by reading the Cat from Cat in the Hat with a British accent ("I like to be here - I do not wish to go!") and the Fish with an Indian accent ("Get out of this house! We do NOT wish to play!"). I said, no, just those are the two accents I'm good at.

But all of these are pretty superficial examples of how my life is different - differences that are evident on the outside. Inside is the real difference though. The responsibility of motherhood and trying to plant a church and making an income upon which my family relies - it's heavy. Not bad heavy. Just - I'm not automatically good at all of it without trying, you know? I hope it doesn't sound proud, but natural talent carried me longer in life than maybe it should have. Which - seems more like a shame than a boast, since what I'm saying is, "It took me longer than I think is healthy to have to work for what I have."

And even now, I haven't earned my life. Bolt is a gift from God. No way we deserve any of the amazing people who are committing/thinking about committing to helping us start a church. Working at the Vineyard in West Philly has opened doors, gives me a place to preach (I'm preaching on Sunday, btw), and has helped me make a lot of friends faster than I could have without the job. Oh - and have I mentioned that I really enjoy my job and that I have a great boss? Yeah - so see? Even now - even with a lot of things for which I am responsible, I still mostly spend my time as Receiver of Gifts.

The gifts are different, but also better.  I mean - if all this crazy stuff comes together, this is the season in my life in which a lot of things got started.  Hopefully, 20 years from now I'll be the mother of a brave young man setting out on his own with big things to do and a healthy community of worshipers that has birthed other healthy communities of worshipers and that has seen thousands of people miraculously healed, many of whom met Jesus for the first time and were changed forever and proceeded to change the world forever.

You know - just a few little things I hope will happen. :)