#462

 Every experience has a "take away". I'd like to share take away #462. 

You see, I bought a house last week. This is the seventh house I've lived in and the first that is on a number street, not a name street. For some reason that seems significant.

If you look back at life experiences, even the really difficult ones, you see the path you are led down. If I hadn't gotten married the first time, I wouldn't have been blessed with three terrific kids. If my first husband hadn't left me, I wouldn't have learned that I could raise kids mostly on my own. Mostly alone, not entirely alone, because we are never really alone. Unless we choose to be. That's a whole different blog. We basically have a complete support system that works entirely in the background. God is that good, how cool is that?

If I hadn't married a second time, I would never have moved away from the big city. Granted, doing that at age 50 was no easy task. If I hadn't move away from home, I'd have never found my country girl heart and experienced how wonderful rural America is. I didn't know I longed for a rural life. But that support system that works in the background? It completely knew.

Out there, in the middle of corn fields, in the middle of nowhere, a tiny community adopted us and became our family. Yes, they thought we might be members of the witness protection program, but still they embraced us. They too were part of the bigger plan.

As rural life grew to be home, so too did struggles and hardship. No one goes without hardship. Without hardship there is no growth. Without hardship life does not evolve. The support system in the background? It's all about support and evolution. It supports us in joy, and it supports us in tragedy. Without the tragedy of becoming a survivor of suicide loss, I would not have pulled up roots and returned to the city. Funny thing is, when I got to the city I discovered I couldn't live there any longer. I am not a big city girl. And, that is okay. 

So according to the greater plan, which of course I have no control of, I found my way to a smaller community. I'll work in the city, I'll be close to my city kids. But I'll enjoy the quiet of a smaller town. So back to the take away, in case you thought I forgot. I hired a local moving company to move my furniture and appliances. A group of guys who are fire fighters by trade, and move people on the side. They see a lot of life on both jobs. They probably see stuff that would make us cry. When they finished moving my stuff, including way too many flower pots, cement bird baths and planter pots, random really cool rocks, a hydraulic wood splitter, and a riding mower that would not start. In the rain, did I mention the in the rain part? I pulled them aside and shared the take away. They are #462 on my list of 1000 graces. Without all the other life experiences, without marriage, childbirth, divorce, remarriage, moving, love & loss, moving back to the city and then out of the city again. I would not be here, they would not have shared this day in my journey. Giving thanks for #462 on my list of graces, for my new home and the bigger plan that guides and unfolds before me.