Delight, Texas life

Our first spring: the first of many tornado watches and warnings, temperature whiplash from 40s to 80s and back again, and lush grass and wildflowers as the world wakes up.

Someone recently asked if I was happy here. Um, 100% unequivocally, YES. I drive around looking at the wide skies and the green fields, and the occasional cow or horse and I think “I can’t believe I get to live here. It’s so beautiful.” 

I drive around with this overwhelming amount of thankfulness in my soul. Occasionally people will ask, “do you miss living in the Middle East?” Our instantaneous, gut response is nope. Not at all. 

(To be fair, I’ve always been committed to embracing every new place, not looking back, so this is my automatic response after every move. There is no joy to be had in wishing we could go back or comparing each new location to the old one, so I fix my gaze on the present.) 

Was I dissatisfied with life while we were there? No. God’s grace gave me peace and purpose and endurance for the time we were called to be there. Was I increasingly frustrated during our last 2 years in AD? Yes. And as we transitioned out of there and over to here, God’s grace lifted and the blinders came off and I think “how did we ever do that for so long? Why did we stay as long as we did?” 

Praise God for his sustaining power. I think similarly when I look back on those early days with 3 little boys 5 and under, with a husband who would be gone for up to 7 months at a time. How did I do that? I must have been a super human! Nope, in fact that was when I was at the weakest point of my life, when I was paralyzed by mental illness. But when we are weak, he is strong. 

If God brought us back to the Middle East, I’m confident he would give me the grace and power to see it through his eyes. That he would give me his contentment in any and every situation so that I could do/endure all things through him who gives me strength. (The true application of that verse.) 

So I am happy now, but the best part is that my happiness is not based on location or whether there is green grass or cows on my daily drive, but on the presence of the king. Because happiness that is dependent on location or situation is not lasting. It’s temporary, fleeting. 

Texas things that bring delight

• Breakfast tacos with salsa 
• Dr Pepper is king 
• Restaurants offering one last refill in a to go cup as you leave 
• Chips and salsa come with individual salsa bowls for each person. No reaching or having to share. (I hear this is a North Texas phenomenon) 
• That people love land and owning land is an achievable goal. 
• Rain! Actual water falling from the sky, occasionally accompanied by thunder and lightning 
• When my weather guy talks about the incoming “hellstorm” he’s actually saying hail storm, but since hail = hell, same, same. 
• Living on the edge of the country means Camille can ride horses on a ranch 10 min from our house. 
• Buc-ees. Buc-ees is my happy place. It smells so good (a mix of sweet vanilla and bbq and freshness) and no matter how crowded it is the checkout process is a flash. And only $1 for the biggest iced tea with pellet ice (inflation just upped it to $1.19 in the last month, but I bring my own giant insulated cup and get the discount). 

Small things, bringing me joy. That is the gift that I keep being given.