After two months on the road with over 6,000 miles traveled, WE ARE HOME!! We’ve traveled through 25 states, 4 Canadian provinces, visited 3 state parks, attended 2 conferences, and, along the way, seen many friends from different seasons of life. It has definitely been a summer for the record books.
It’s good to be HOME!
As we turned into our driveway, I was flooded with memories of moments, God moments, along the way. As we left two months ago, one of the things my (Amanda) heart was craving was connectivity. The last four years have been some of the toughest I’ve gone through emotionally, physically, spiritually, and relationally. I needed people who knew me, loved me, and accepted me for who I am. I needed to confide in “comfortable” people who knew my past but were also part of my present. I needed to hear about their joys, struggles, frustrations, elations, and most of all, their relationship with Jesus. God answered far above and beyond my heart’s cry. He allowed me to visit with two girls I had the privilege of investing in 10-15 years ago. He orchestrated two reunions with former roommates (one from college and one from seminary). He allowed me time to sit down and talk with a mentor. And, then, on top of all of those blessings, God gave us new friends.
But, God also gave me some in depth time to connect with Him. I’ll be honest with you, it didn’t come in the form I had anticipated. Before leaving for Maine, I envisioned uninterrupted time on the porch, coffee in hand, and reading hours (well at least an hour) of scripture. There was only one “problem” with this vision…I didn’t factor in our children. 🙂 HA! The entire time we were away our little man decided to wake up between 4:45-5:15. So, Chris and I had to re-think our strategy. Though, at times, I did get time for good reading, God took me down a different path. He used His amazing creation to remind me of His power, awesomeness, and the fact that He sees me. He used my children to remind me of His grace, forgiveness, and Fatherly affection towards me. And, He used my husband to remind me of His great love for me.
Why would God decide to use people and creation as His primary tool for pouring into me this summer? It goes back to what I was saying in the second paragraph…I was craving to connect relationally. God showed me that over the last several years I’ve been building a wall around my heart. I guess I’ve always known it was present. But, I didn’t know when it started or how to prevent it from happening again. This summer God began to show me where my brick laying began. It, as all walls, didn’t occur overnight. It happened slowly, methodically, but unnoticed. Every brick was used as “protection” for my hurting heart. However, those bricks were also preventing me from living and experiencing life and freedom. This summer God began the slow process of removing those pieces that were keeping me from relationships. And, as only God can do, He used relationships as the demolition crew. I still have a long way to go, but I know the process has begun for me.
This journey to Maine was so much more than a sabbatical for our family. It was a life-giving, healing breath of fresh air. It was a time to reconnect as a family and re-learn how to connect with other people. It was a time for us to pull away and discover what was important to our family and then have the courage to pursue those things. It was a time to discover new things about our children and learn new things as a couple. It was a time for us to have others pour into us, and yet an opportunity to pour into others. In a word… it was PERFECT! Yes, we had some crazy things that happened along the way. But, no journey is complete without some hiccups.
So, for all of you who are wondering if we would, again, take 3 kiddos on the road for two months and live out of a “tin can” (our van) for months at a time? The answer is a 100% YES!! I wouldn’t trade any of the moments, great and difficult, for a summer of routine. (And for those who know me well, you know I like my routine 🙂 ) The journey our family went on will be one that defines us for many years to come. For you who kept up with us, THANK YOU for taking the time to read, follow, and pray for us. We felt loved and were encouraged by each comment and text you sent us. To our Cook family, THANK YOU for giving us this time away. Your sacrifice did not go unnoticed. I feel we have returned to you rested and ready to fight the battle alongside you. We love you more than you will ever know!!
This is not the last journey for the Modern Nomads…stay tuned for more. But, until then, it’s time to get back into my beloved routine. 🙂
Our last stop before home was Collegiate Week in Oklahoma. Great time of worship!
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This pic cracks me up! The word we were standing by says “UNITED.” If you look closely, we were definitely not united in our picture taking. Chris is the ONLY one looking at the camera. 🙂
First things first, pick up our puppy, Abby. Thank you Aunt RaRa and Uncle BuBu for taking care of her. She was missed.
The day after we got back, Chris had the opportunity to perform the marriage ceremony of two former college students, and the girls were also flower girls in the wedding. We had a blast celebrating with Taylor and Emily and reconnecting with friends and family! 🙂
