My Village

We have lived in this "village" of 2,000+ for eleven years now. 
(I love how quaint that sounds.)

And it has become a home like I've never imagined.
My hometown of growing up years will always feel like a home. 
And this current town we're in, is the place I've called home through this past decade: a decade of building and growing so much new.

My mantra when we moved here, to this new community, those years ago: 
Say "yes" to anyone and anything that you are invited to join in, no matter how new or unknown.

Even when I may have been feeling bluesy about such a new, unfamiliar setting. 
Even when my whole life shifted dramatically from super busy grad school student to, well...nothing on the calendar.
No job was lined up for me, no children on the horizon yet. 
Just, well a new life. 
And I heard it could be difficult to be included in a smaller community sometimes: if you're not from there, if you're a transplant. So my expectations were not the highest at finding any friendships very quickly.

But oh. my. stars. 

God had such surprises up His sleeve.

And He didn't wait too long to reveal His gifts.

A grad school friend's cousin's wife's mother.
I am not kidding.

It all started with that "connection." 
My VILLAGE was created.

And walking through these 11 years, there have been very clear and defined SEASONS.
My village has been built on a foundation of dearest friendships, 
and it has shifted
and shifted
and shifted.

Seasons.
Friends have moved.
And moved.
In and out.
Back and forth.
New ones arriving.
Precious ones leaving.

And these changes have brought so much joy AND grief to my heart.

The friendships of these adult years, of so many life changes... 
they have been lifelines to get through the days.

Through becoming a mother for the first time. To adding on and juggling. Working through health challenges. Job changes. Possible moves ourselves.

The STABILITY through it all?
My God.
My husband.
Our families.
This cozy ol' house.

Everything else? 
CHANGES. 
SEASONS.

What brings all this to mind so clearly right now? 
Another set of precious, precious friends have just moved away. 

My heart sinks, I feel that emptiness and sadness bubbling to the surface. A void. Sniffles when I think about it too long.

These friends... have walked through their own intense, enormous losses while they lived here their own past decade here. 
And they walked through OUR losses and joys, right alongside us. With such genuine care and straight-up understanding. Life-changing friends.

And my hand is forced to be open, to let go. 

Not permanently: friendship is lifelong established. But letting go of the daily life stuff. 
And that is what breaks this girl's heart. 

"People we’ve invested in, done life with... People we’ve wept, laughed, and longed with. People who’ve been there for us in the darkest moments, reminding us of the truths of the gospel and the faithfulness of God. These are people we thank God for, doing so with a deep sense of joy (Phil. 1:3–4)."
(Steve Timmis, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/painful-good-gospel-goodbye/)

There have been such seasons of friendships since living here in this place, that my mind can envision so clearly: 

-single gals who now are married and walking through the stage I was in when we met, of new locations and even parenthood.
-precious friends moving across the country: 
New York. Maryland. Louisiana. Michigan. South Dakota. 
South, even in this same state.

Away. To beautiful journeys.
But, away from me, my daily life.

For me, who cherishes relationship... Who does not take one friendship for granted... Goodbyes are a terribly bittersweet burden. A normal thing. But a loss felt in the everyday of life. That void that can't be replaced.

"The sense of loss over a good thing is truly a good thing. 
We should never be able to shrug our shoulders and easily walk away from friendships into the next phase of life."
(Steve Timmis, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/painful-good-gospel-goodbye/)

And then, this weekend we had vehicle troubles. More than once.

And we received such support and care and help from friendships; rallying around us.

And I have been reminded, again:

That God is still providing in this way for us.

We will still have a village around us. It has shifted through these years. And it will shift again. And I will grieve changes, again. 
There will be stability in the path, t
here will be changes coming to the path.
And God will provide. 
In ways that will make sense usually later on down the road.

Even looking back to my elementary school years, 
just about every end of the school year, a close friend moved away.
And looking back on junior high, high school, college, graduate school, and through this day...
God has been a GIVER to me.
With just the right girlfriends. For the season. And a few throughout ALL those seasons.
And I am ever, ever grateful.

And to each of you most treasured people in my life, 
from braces years to 
meeting future spouses to 
news of jobs and pregnancies
from losses to joys,
whether I see you weekly or yearly or hopefully-someday-soon.
I have been blessed by you and how you have impacted who I am.

And you who have left my daily life: 
YOU ARE UNFORGETTABLE. 
YOU ARE MISSED.

“Our bad things turn out for good. Our good things can never be lost. And the best things are yet to come.” 
(Jonathan Edwards)

Blessings on "The Dance" of our journeys.
Elizabeth