Life

I'm spending a rainy morning in a library in Jensen Beach, Florida. As I reflect over the past ten days,  a soup pot of thoughts, emotions and experiences fill my mind. And stretch my heart.

A dear friend who lives here, Beth, asked my daughter Katie to consider a job in Florida. Katie came to Florida earlier this month and decided she'd make the move. And so we made a plan: I would drive with her from Ohio to Florida and help her get settled. She had two weeks to get her ducks in a row.

But then life happened. My dear friend Pat (see previous post) died about a week before our departure date and plans quickly changed. We would leave a couple of days early and drive to Charlotte and I'd fly from there to Rhode Island for Pat's service ... then I'd fly back to Charlotte and continue on to Florida with Katie. (She stayed there at son Dan's house and all the fun chaos of the little ones.)

But the weather changed our plans once more when we realized the forecast of a massive snowstorm headed toward the mountains of West Virginia: smack along our route on our travel day.

I must give huge hugs and credit to Katie, a most careful and methodical packer, who agreed on Monday morning, January 20, to hit the road THAT AFTERNOON and drive into the night for Charlotte. And not just a road trip, but a MOVE!

We were off by 5 p.m. We don't love night driving but the light traffic was AMAZING. Most of the truckers were dozing at the rest stops. We talked, we snacked and listened to music. We pulled in at Dan and Jenny's at 1:30 a.m., dodging the storm completely.

I was able to fly to Providence and back on Wednesday and Thursday, though not everyone was as blessed: hundreds of flights were cancelled by that storm. I'm so thankful to have spent some time with Pat's husband John and their children, who I hadn't seen in many years. My brother Mark and I toured the snow-covered and frigid towns of Westerly and Watch Hill, Rhode Island: seaside towns that teem with summer residents but were buttoned up tight for winter, especially Watch Hill.

Back to Charlotte on Thursday: Katie and I hopped in the car and put 200 miles behind us, arriving at Callawassie Island, S.C. to spend the night with my brother Pat and his wife Janet. That was a fun and last-minute stop: so glad we did! So good to see Pat and Jan ... and oh the Low Country boasts a stunning beauty.

On Friday, January 24, we headed south, Florida-bound, to complete the purpose of this adventure: relocating Katie to Jensen Beach, Florida. It's been a busy, busy week: helping Katie move into her new home, finding her way around, errands, and starting her new job. And all the while, I've been treated to warm and loving hospitality by Beth and her husband Dan. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, dear friends!

I pray for my kids: their jobs, lives, spouses, choices. For months I've prayed for Katie to boldly take some new steps in life and discover what God has for her. This week I'm seeing His loving and timely answers: a job that seems a good fit, a great place to live thanks to a Godly, generous lady named Cynthia, and reminders to always depend on God, not self. This is a very big step for Katie ... but maybe a bigger one for me.

Tomorrow it's off to Tampa to visit my sister and son David for the weekend, another little blessing of perfect timing. Then I'll fly home Monday.

I couldn't have dreamed up the past two weeks, or even the past year, as I impatiently waited for what might unfold for Katie. But I continue to learn to trust God's heart and stand amazed at His faithfulness.