The Deal

Michigan, Michigan. Good old Grand Rapids. I never expected to be back again in this capacity. A job. A car. Almost a house. A church. Family. Friends. So many feelings, so much history. It's good to be back, very good. But it's hard too. Our life is not as much ours as it used to be, but that's because our relationships here are with family, and with friends that go back to childhood. I'm ready to settle down for a while, but it's scary. We're putting down so many roots I'm afraid we won't be able to make a change even if we want to. I'm enjoying work and looking forward to becoming competent and productive in a new field, but it's scary to leave what I'm good at behind. It's tough to come back as adults to a church we left as children. What is our place?

I know we made a good decision, and I'm not complaining. I expected it to be hard. It's good to know that God is with us. Being with family again is amazing. Seeing our long lost friends is incredible. Getting to know them all again has been a beautiful thing. The chance to own a house is one I thought we wouldn't have for years, if ever. The first week of work has been good, and I think the job will be a great challenge. Fitting back into church will be a stretching and growing experience, I'm sure. So all in all, hard but good. Painful but joyful. Challenging and growing. Forcing us to our knees in prayer and into faith for a life we know we can't live on our own.