This past Sunday before Memorial Day, my husband and I went to a church that we used to attend periodically, when we lived in our previous home. The church is close to a Farmers Market that has a themed event every week. Our prior home was in a very rural area and was pretty far from any activities or my family.  In addition, we had my dad living with us after my mom passed, so our ability to leave spontaneously for long periods of time, were non-existent. We needed to plan for longer trips, so some Sundays, we opted out of our local church and drove into town. We’d often bring back some treat or treasure with us for my dad.

When we moved to that house, we did so to be near my sisters and be able to help my parents, who were both alive and living in an adjacent state. I had no job when I moved, but my prideful self was sure it would be a piece of cake to find one. I mean, after all I did have a master’s degree and just left a state where I held a position of high authority and made a pretty good income.  I soon learned how to be humble and found myself working in a retail store, living in a rural town, far from family, not making friends, and spending hours a day looking for a job.  There had also been another big family tragedy and then the loss of my dog, who had kept me grounded. Self-pity began to set in, and my pride was bruised.  That is when I began to read the verses before my favorite verse in the bible. 

For many years, Jeremiah 29: 11 was a verse that seemed to follow me. Whenever I saw that verse appear repeatedly, I felt comfort and knew God had some changes in store for me. I have mentioned this in previous posts. When we were in our prior home, and I in my low points, I read the verses before and after verse 11.  Particularly verse 7 which reads “Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  That verse spoke to me to stop feeling sorry for myself, get to know the people in my local neighborhood, church, and places of business. It was as if God was telling me to make the most of where I was at that time and be helpful, prosperous, and thankful.  It kind of hit me like a ton of bricks, to be honest. I began to really try to find the joy in where I was, to appreciate the beauty of our neighborhood, be thankful for the responsibility of my dad, and ask God to help me learn what I was supposed to learn. We joined the Garden Ministry at the local church soon after and began to do our small part in helping feed people in need.

Fast forward to the current day. We live in a new area and a new home. My dad passed away 1.5 years ago, in peace. It was the best way he could have died; he went to bed Christmas eve and died in his sleep.  He was finally at peace.  Shortly after, we put our house on the market.  I have been at my current job for 2 years and we are making friends in our neighborhood and settling in nicely. This Memorial Day, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and go to the previous alternate church, the market, and a popular state park that used to be 20 minutes from our old home, where now it is an hour drive.  The park is visited by people all over the U.S. and is known for its views and hiking.

When we sat down for the church service, the scripture that was read was Jeremiah 29:6-14. I smiled to myself and thought “God, you couldn’t have designed this day better.”  It was a perfect reminder for our Memorial Day jaunt down memory lane.  It was as if God was reminding me that He is always in control and He knows His plans for me are better than I could ever lay out, even if I don’t like the painful parts, the messy parts, or the parts that aren’t moving fast enough.  I needed the reminder that it isn’t always about me; sometimes God puts us in places to make an impact on others and who knows the people we impact when we live in His purpose!

We have fun memories, for sure of that painful part of our lives. We drove through the State Park and a few of the places we frequented. We drove through our old neighborhood and reminisced about the two years we were there. We remembered those relatives of ours who were no longer with us. We drove through the local church parking lot and looked at the garden where we volunteered for the local garden ministry.  As we left the town and our old neighborhood, I pondered on what the future holds. I am in search of my next dog; I have been without one since my Sophie died in August of 2022. It just didn’t seem like a good time to bring a new dog into our home when my dad was with us. We are getting ready to join a small group with our new church and I have met new friends in our neighborhood.  I’m starting to feel like my old self again, only a little older and wiser, definitely more thankful and trusting of the One who is in control.