Comfort Zone

Have you ever considered that God has to move you out of your comfort zone in the wildest of ways? David and I talked about living in Vancouver even when we dated, but now that we're here it feels surreal at times. There are many times where Hayden and I are the only Caucasians in a room full of Asians. There are times I miss the oddest things from MS--like my gigantic kitchen. Many, many days I never imagined that I would leave Mississippi, much less Ocean Springs.

In just the few short months we've been in Coquitlam, I've learned a great deal about myself. Whether we spend two years or ten years or forever in Canada, God has and is using this time to reveal who Jamie is and who she can be. David and I have stepped out more in faith than we have in any other time of our marriage, I believe. We've learned to rely on each other. I have learned that I rarely put myself out there to meet new people; I typically wait on others to come to me. I've become more cognizant of the face I put forward when meeting/passing people (have you ever noticed how some people just always look unhappy?). Small talk is not my gift, but I'm getting better each day. I've learned a new respect for stay-at-home mothers; in some small, small way I have a slight understanding of what it must be like to be military and to relocate where you have no family and you must start the friends, activities, and involvement process all over every few years. I'm learning to stand up for myself--when I'm offended, challenged, and reproached. I'm learning to live on less, to wait for something I want now, and to be joyful no matter what.

I don't know what our future holds or where we'll "settle" down...or if we ever will. David and I have spent the past week earnestly discussing our lives and how we'd like them to look, what plans God may have for our family, and how we can best meet the needs of our family and our future. Above all else, even if our decisions and our lives make no sense to anyone else, we want Hayden to be able to look at us and say, "My parents were obedient. God may have taken them on a wild ride, but there's not a doubt they followed His bidding."