Comparisonitis

Once the excitement of living in a new place dies down a bit, it's natural to start the comparisons between the "before life" and the "after life". I try hard not to do it on a daily basis, because as the Sara Groves song says, you can't go back to the way things were, and well, they weren't always as great as you think they were anyway.

All that aside, here are the differences between there and here:

• I miss friends most of all
• Walking to downtown St. Charles for the Scarecrow Festival and Geneva for dinner with Jason and Jenna
• My colleagues at STCPL
• Our church, Christ Community Church, and its amazing leader, Pastor Jim
• Having Mondays off to take Bandit to the dog park
• Feeling a part of a smaller, very devoted community

But, here:

• Much more cultural diversity
• The sunshine, the sunshine, the sunshine
• New friends who I've met and haven't met yet
• New opportunities to make our impressions on the community surrounding us - be it Tampa, a church or a non-profit organization
• The ability to try new things - sea kayaking, swimming in the ocean, feeding pelicans

One of the biggest challenges has been finding a church that fits right. Christ Community in St. Charles was well-established and had around 3,000 members. The church we've frequented here has about 100 people, meets in a middle school, and has been around for a year. Big difference, eh?

The thing that we've been holding onto very tightly these past three months is that God has brought us here for a purpose. The changes may be uncomfortable at best and heart-wrenching at worst, but we grip to the belief that the time here isn't wasted.

~M