We have been in a unique season. Our family is in a particularly unique season as this is the longest we have been stateside in 13 years, but in general I think most of us are going through something right now we never have. How are you? I’m often lost in how to respond honestly to this question because my emotions are truly all over the place. However at the base of it all I can honestly say that I am good. I can say this because no matter what kind of day I’ve had or week or emotion might be dominating, His kindness is still wrapped up in it all. I’m so thankful for the evidence of His presence that is all around us and His goodness that comforts us. I pray you can see it too. 

It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly a year since we sensed the major shift in our lives. When I look back now I can see so much of God’s faithfulness, like little treasures, tucked into a lot of little details. Our move from Marseille was full of confidence and peace, as we knew we were walking in obedience. We were full of faith. So many unknowns were before us and excitement at what we knew God was calling us towards and at the same time we were also walking through grief. Marseille was and always will be a very special place to us. The people and experiences we had there were a gift in so many ways and not at all easy to part with. We still miss it and probably a part of us always will. 

There was one treasure that has been at the forefront of my heart. I hold it there for the days where I feel a little lost. Moving during the pandemic, along with human error, turned our last few days extremely intense and stressful. From canceled flights, hours and hours on the phone, losing our place to bring our cat, discovering Beyren’s passport was expired less than 48 hours before our flight, an emergency trip to Paris, running around Marseille trying to find a notary… it was chaos and hard. 

As I drove away from Marseille that day with 3 of our kids all packed in with our luggage (Due to aforementioned passport emergency we drove to meet Nolan and Beyren in Dijon to then drive to take our flight in Frankfurt). We had just said good bye to some of our dearest friends that became family and left our cat behind with a friend. We all just cried together in the car. We sat in that emotion of sadness as we left what we came to love so dearly. I let myself feel it right with the kids. I told them it was ok for them to feel it too. 

Then one of his treasures turned up. The drive was possibly one of the most beautiful scenes I had ever seen. The sunset over the rolling hills of southern France was overwhelmingly magnificent. It felt like we were being swallowed up in God’s glory as the scene literally surrounded us. These pictures will never due it justice. Then as the sky was meeting a storm another layer of beauty and a double rainbow, spotted by Colton, shown through. I just knew it was God’s kindness there again. Not masking the sadness but meeting me in it. 

Friends sometimes life is just hard. No matter the reason, circumstance… we can even be in complete obedience as we have to walk through some really hard things. But if I look back over all the hard things I’ve had to walk through His faithfulness and kindness met me EVERY time! 

There’s been a song going around now since quarantine. Oddly I thought I already knew it but am wondering now if it just reminded me of another song I knew from my childhood with a similar message. In it is written “All my life you have been faithful, all my life you have been so so good.” So no matter what emotion I may have on any particular day I know I can say I’m good. Life’s hard, moving is hard, transition is hard, homeschooling is hard, parenting is hard, but His kindness is soooo good and there’s no lack of it all around us. 

Whatever you are going through today I pray you see it. See that sunset, that double rainbow, a song on the radio, a text from a friend, that evidence that is all around telling you God is with you, and He is faithful. He cares for you, He hasn’t left us yet and He never will. I pray this comforts you today as it does me. 

Psalms 16:8, “Because you are close to me and always available, my confidence will never be shaken, for I experience your wrap-around presence every moment.”