the UNEXPECTED

It's crazy how things work out sometimes.
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I'm moving tomorrow.  So much work goes into moving.  And even more when you have zero ability to transport any of your own things because you don't have a car.  And even more work when your things have to go to four different locations and you are trying to coordinate selling your furniture to individuals.

But that's all not as stressful as the email I got two weeks ago telling me I couldn't move into the place I thought I would be moving into on Aug 1st. 7 It wasn't actually available until Aug 27th.  This was after five days of uncertainty about whether or not I could move in on Aug 1st.

      this means I have to find a place to stay for 26 days
             this means I have to find a place for all my stuff for 26 days
                     this means I have to ask more things of more people.  oh joy.

Well, it turns out God had it all worked out.  The day I found out I couldn't move in until the 27th, a friend offered her garage for all of my things.  A coworker, hearing about my uncertainty, told me to "let her know" if I ended up needing a place to stay for a few weeks.  The day after I found out, I told her, and she offered to let me stay with her family.
           The brilliance of this situation is that her family lives in Pasadena.  Most
           of my community and friends that are willing to help me out also live in
           Pasadena.  So now, for three weeks, I get to continue working (Yay!)
           and I will be close to so many people I love!

This plan (read: God's plan) sounds a whole lot better than my plan.  I was moving to a city where I knew few people, 2 metro trains away from my community, and without a job.

And now, I've managed to find a way to move all of my things and homes for all of my furniture.

God's plan rocks.

Learning Dependence

A week ago I picked up friends from the airport who had been out of town.  They were gracious enough to let me use their car while they were gone. (For those of you who are unaware, I do not have a car.)  I absolutely LOVED the time of freedom/independence/blessing that it brought.  I decided to reflect on the difference the car had made on my life during the previous two weeks.  Here's what I realized.

• We don't really need to go all of the places we find ourselves going.  
• The ability to go somewhere made me feel like I had to go and do everything that popped into my mind. (I felt a little trapped by self-inflicted obligation to "take advantage of the opportunity" to be free).
• Being alone while driving, singing at the top of my lungs to whatever I feel like listening too is quite possibly one of my favorite things. (Although, I'm  not a fan of the actual driving part. Just the ability to sing while driving part.)
• I found myself feeling much more isolated.
• I know this may sound strange, but hear me out. My dependence on other people to take me most places means that I spend more time with people in an enclosed space for a good amount of time.  Conversations happen, whether you want them too or not. I ended up feeling disconnected from those who usually gave me rides. 

While I wouldn't quite say I truly enjoy not having a car, I've definitely come to a pretty radical realization.  Dependence on other people is a good thing. I know. Life changing, right? But if I'm being really honest with myself, isn't that the way Jesus wanted his church to be? I'd say that's a pretty good modern understanding of "they had everything in common."

And really, I need to start believing that dependence is a good thing.  Really believing it.  That the church was designed that way. Because pretty soon I'm going to need to be dependent on far more people than I currently am.  As much as desperately don't want too, I am going to need to ask people to financially support me while I am abroad.  The thought of it makes me cringe. I hate asking people for things, even after of year of no car.  And I especially hate asking people for money. Ugh, the thought causes me to make an ugly face. But really, if I really believe that this program, being a missionary intern for two years, is what God wants me to do, I should really let him do it. Because ultimately, being dependent on other people in the church is really being dependent on God. (Not all the time, I get it....but in this case it is.)