A Wink. A Blink. A Twinkle.
One year seems so long, at least it did when my kids were babies. Then, they started school, and a year seems to fly by in a wink. This year was a wink. A blink. A twinkle.
In one year, we have navigated through culture, school systems, churches, jobs, the Gospel, maps, beaches, cockroaches, friendships, homesickness, visitors and counseling sessions (the last two aren't necessarily related). We've learned a few things along the way.
To rid your home of cockroaches, every food item needs to be in a sealed container. Pest control is not needed if they are bating the little monsters to your apartment. You can rid your home of them all on your own with a wonderful product called Home Defense by Orkin. It's a life saver and will help the transition to your new home in Florida immensely!
GPS is your best friend. You will quickly learn the lay of the land with a few clicks. It will take your from Clearwater to Tampa to Orlando to St. Petersburg Beach. It will take you to work, school and home again. It will find the nearest Target, which is a piece of "home."
When you have ONE day to register your kids for school, it can be done and you will cry in the front office of the middle school and it will be ok. The secretary will give you her cell phone number as added support. You will quickly learn where the free clinic is to get shots and updated records on Florida forms, because there are strict rules here that must be followed. You will turn the forms in on Monday morning and your kids will head off to their classes as if you had your crap together months ago. Meanwhile, you will walk away in tears as you head off to the library to fill out a million job applications.
Once your applications are filled out, you will pray just one employer will find interest in you. Meanwhile, you will head home and unpack one room at a time and throw away another 15 boxes of "stuff" you never needed in the first place. You will cry some more, because it's just all too overwhelming. If you have an awesome husband, he will take you to Steak N Shake for lunch and you will think it is the greatest place on earth. Then, you will head to pick up your darlings. You will cry some more as they share their day with you.
As the school year inches on, you will quickly learn things are different here. Your kid may be bullied. A principal may say something stupid like, "my school is bigger than most towns in MN." You may want to punch him in the throat, but instead, you will remove your child and never look back. You will find a nice, small, charter school where he/she will make lifetime friends and have staff who truly care.
On Sundays, you will spend your time finding a church to fit your family. You will try the tried and true churches like the ones back home, but they will fall short. You will venture away from the comfortable and dive into the new. Your faith will be shaken with the rest of transition. You will quickly learn the Bible is not about you, it's about God. You will learn it's not about the worship music, how much you put in the offering plate or how you serve. It's about the Gospel, the whole Gospel and glorifying God. Not glorifying Him to in turn be blessed by Him, but Glorify Him because He is the blessing.
In the church, you will find your lifelong friends. Friends who will do life with you. They will walk with you, cry with you, love you, encourage you. But, they will not ever replace the lifelong friends you left behind. It's like the song I sang in Girl Scouts, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." I'm thankful for all of the friends God has given us. So thankful!
Those "old" lifelong friends, they will surprise you on your birthday, hang out with you at the beach/pool for a week, call you when they know you just need to hear their voice, meet you for lunch or dinner on their way to the cruise ship, send you video messages, facetime, pray for you, and listen to you. It will feel, for a moment, they are right there with you everyday. They're not. You will miss them. You will want one more Starbucks date, one more movie night, one more half-price app night.
You will leave family behind. It will hurt. Holidays are the worst! They will send you cards when you need them most, gifts at Christmas time, and a phone call on your Birthday. But, it won't be the same. You will cry. Your new friends will become your family. They will be there to celebrate Birthdays and holidays with you in person. It's not the same, but it's a close second. You will cry.
Employment will come. The pay, not so much. The professionalism you were once used to, not so much. But, there will be a paycheck, the bills will get paid, and you will work your tail off in hopes that one day it will pay off. It will.
The weekend will come, you will pack up the car and head to the beach. Your feet will hit the sand and every piece of stress will be left on the tar. You'll jump waves, watch your kids body surf, and take in the view. Sunset will come, you will snap pictures, selfies, and basque in God's glory. The weekend will end in a wink. A blink. A twinkle.
You are home.
In one year, we have navigated through culture, school systems, churches, jobs, the Gospel, maps, beaches, cockroaches, friendships, homesickness, visitors and counseling sessions (the last two aren't necessarily related). We've learned a few things along the way.
To rid your home of cockroaches, every food item needs to be in a sealed container. Pest control is not needed if they are bating the little monsters to your apartment. You can rid your home of them all on your own with a wonderful product called Home Defense by Orkin. It's a life saver and will help the transition to your new home in Florida immensely!
GPS is your best friend. You will quickly learn the lay of the land with a few clicks. It will take your from Clearwater to Tampa to Orlando to St. Petersburg Beach. It will take you to work, school and home again. It will find the nearest Target, which is a piece of "home."
When you have ONE day to register your kids for school, it can be done and you will cry in the front office of the middle school and it will be ok. The secretary will give you her cell phone number as added support. You will quickly learn where the free clinic is to get shots and updated records on Florida forms, because there are strict rules here that must be followed. You will turn the forms in on Monday morning and your kids will head off to their classes as if you had your crap together months ago. Meanwhile, you will walk away in tears as you head off to the library to fill out a million job applications.
Once your applications are filled out, you will pray just one employer will find interest in you. Meanwhile, you will head home and unpack one room at a time and throw away another 15 boxes of "stuff" you never needed in the first place. You will cry some more, because it's just all too overwhelming. If you have an awesome husband, he will take you to Steak N Shake for lunch and you will think it is the greatest place on earth. Then, you will head to pick up your darlings. You will cry some more as they share their day with you.
As the school year inches on, you will quickly learn things are different here. Your kid may be bullied. A principal may say something stupid like, "my school is bigger than most towns in MN." You may want to punch him in the throat, but instead, you will remove your child and never look back. You will find a nice, small, charter school where he/she will make lifetime friends and have staff who truly care.
On Sundays, you will spend your time finding a church to fit your family. You will try the tried and true churches like the ones back home, but they will fall short. You will venture away from the comfortable and dive into the new. Your faith will be shaken with the rest of transition. You will quickly learn the Bible is not about you, it's about God. You will learn it's not about the worship music, how much you put in the offering plate or how you serve. It's about the Gospel, the whole Gospel and glorifying God. Not glorifying Him to in turn be blessed by Him, but Glorify Him because He is the blessing.
In the church, you will find your lifelong friends. Friends who will do life with you. They will walk with you, cry with you, love you, encourage you. But, they will not ever replace the lifelong friends you left behind. It's like the song I sang in Girl Scouts, "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." I'm thankful for all of the friends God has given us. So thankful!
Those "old" lifelong friends, they will surprise you on your birthday, hang out with you at the beach/pool for a week, call you when they know you just need to hear their voice, meet you for lunch or dinner on their way to the cruise ship, send you video messages, facetime, pray for you, and listen to you. It will feel, for a moment, they are right there with you everyday. They're not. You will miss them. You will want one more Starbucks date, one more movie night, one more half-price app night.
You will leave family behind. It will hurt. Holidays are the worst! They will send you cards when you need them most, gifts at Christmas time, and a phone call on your Birthday. But, it won't be the same. You will cry. Your new friends will become your family. They will be there to celebrate Birthdays and holidays with you in person. It's not the same, but it's a close second. You will cry.
Employment will come. The pay, not so much. The professionalism you were once used to, not so much. But, there will be a paycheck, the bills will get paid, and you will work your tail off in hopes that one day it will pay off. It will.
The weekend will come, you will pack up the car and head to the beach. Your feet will hit the sand and every piece of stress will be left on the tar. You'll jump waves, watch your kids body surf, and take in the view. Sunset will come, you will snap pictures, selfies, and basque in God's glory. The weekend will end in a wink. A blink. A twinkle.
You are home.
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