One day, several years ago, my dad called me into his and Mom's room and told me, as gently as possible, that he no longer had a job. My family would be moving as soon as he could find a new one. We would be leaving the only home I could really remember, and all my friends and my hopes and plans. Where would we be moving? We didn't know. When? Probably that year...
I was in shock. We would be leaving my childhood home. My friends. My house. The pacific northwest. All these things I absolutely loved. What would happen to us?
What was worse was that, for various reasons, my parents decided it was not wise to make our move general knowledge for a while. That means that my friends were making plans, with me in them, for times when I wouldn't be around.
It was an enormously heavy burden to carry. My dad looked at jobs all over the country, trying to find one close to home, but in the end, the best fit was one in some obscure little town........in Pennsylvania. Yes, relocation completely across the country...again. We stayed for longer than we had hoped, and ended up moving in June; but that whole time, I carried around the knowledge that we were going to move, and I couldn't share it. It was made generally known, I think just a week or two before we left.
Flying out of the state, I was numb. I looked down at grey, cloudy Portland and felt incredibly sad. I had always complained about the rain; but that day it seemed like I would be happy to live with rain every day for the rest of my life if I could just stay there.
Pennsylvania... meh. I didn't like it much. I had no friends there, a fact that quickly came to my attention. I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed having friends in my old town. I also quickly realized that I had totally forgotten how to make a new friend. Scary, right?? Needless to say, it wasn't easy.
I have a hard time talking about this whole experience, so I'm going to condense it. I wasn't very happy for a couple of years, until I felt like I had found a friend. Another year and I had several. It took yet another year for me to realize that I had a place. A real place. And I liked it.
What did this major adjustment do for me? Well, I'm going to be honest, a very good chunk of what I have and am, I got from this whole... experience. I became more empathetic, observant of others' needs, friendly, even talented and smart (what do you think I did for a couple of years? ;). I got stronger faith and a deeper appreciation of what it's like to be alone, whether you're alone without another person on the continent with you, or alone in a crowded room--it's pretty much the same deal. I learned to examine myself and improve the weaker areas. I learned so much.
Besides that, I was given tons of opportunities from being in this location: I'm in an extremely awesome community choir, I go to a totally eptastic cyber school, and found an LDS homeschool conference that is severely awesome... besides all the amazing, wonderful friends I have from these things. I would have had none of these things if I hadn't moved here. Isn't that crazy to think about? Without this move, I might not have ever discovered my love of photography and government and the classics, etc. etc. etc.. It's absolutely crazy to me how many good, wonderful, life-changing, mind-blowing, awesome things came out of this one event that completely shattered my world as a 12-year-old.
This brings me to the question: what do you consider your biggest trial? Something that shattered your world to the point where you knew it could never be the same again, and you wondered why? Why you, why then? Well... do you think that maybe a loving God looked at you and thought of you as he thought of me, "my child has things to learn"? So you began to move along your amazing adventure--the (painful) journey of growing into what He intended you to be.
Watch this. Can you see reflections of yourself in the currant bush's attitude? I know I can... I always wondered why. Why? Why? Why? But I'm beginning to see now--what I want is not what God wants for me, and in the end, what He wants is better. He's trying to make something from me that I've never imagined. It's going to be awesome when He gets done!
So here is my challenge for you. In stead of thinking with resentment, hopelessness or heartbreak at your situation, try looking at it with a positive spin. God never gives us a challenge that we can't overcome; if your challenges are hard, that means you are a stunning, magnificent being. Sometimes it's hard to see. But it's there. So try stopping the questioning and starting the learning... I think you'll find it's worth it. :)
Note: please be sensitive, as these are topics I have a hard time talking about, and are rather close to my heart. Just be gentle. Thanks. (:
I was in shock. We would be leaving my childhood home. My friends. My house. The pacific northwest. All these things I absolutely loved. What would happen to us?
What was worse was that, for various reasons, my parents decided it was not wise to make our move general knowledge for a while. That means that my friends were making plans, with me in them, for times when I wouldn't be around.
It was an enormously heavy burden to carry. My dad looked at jobs all over the country, trying to find one close to home, but in the end, the best fit was one in some obscure little town........in Pennsylvania. Yes, relocation completely across the country...again. We stayed for longer than we had hoped, and ended up moving in June; but that whole time, I carried around the knowledge that we were going to move, and I couldn't share it. It was made generally known, I think just a week or two before we left.
Flying out of the state, I was numb. I looked down at grey, cloudy Portland and felt incredibly sad. I had always complained about the rain; but that day it seemed like I would be happy to live with rain every day for the rest of my life if I could just stay there.
Pennsylvania... meh. I didn't like it much. I had no friends there, a fact that quickly came to my attention. I hadn't realized how much I enjoyed having friends in my old town. I also quickly realized that I had totally forgotten how to make a new friend. Scary, right?? Needless to say, it wasn't easy.
I have a hard time talking about this whole experience, so I'm going to condense it. I wasn't very happy for a couple of years, until I felt like I had found a friend. Another year and I had several. It took yet another year for me to realize that I had a place. A real place. And I liked it.
What did this major adjustment do for me? Well, I'm going to be honest, a very good chunk of what I have and am, I got from this whole... experience. I became more empathetic, observant of others' needs, friendly, even talented and smart (what do you think I did for a couple of years? ;). I got stronger faith and a deeper appreciation of what it's like to be alone, whether you're alone without another person on the continent with you, or alone in a crowded room--it's pretty much the same deal. I learned to examine myself and improve the weaker areas. I learned so much.
Besides that, I was given tons of opportunities from being in this location: I'm in an extremely awesome community choir, I go to a totally eptastic cyber school, and found an LDS homeschool conference that is severely awesome... besides all the amazing, wonderful friends I have from these things. I would have had none of these things if I hadn't moved here. Isn't that crazy to think about? Without this move, I might not have ever discovered my love of photography and government and the classics, etc. etc. etc.. It's absolutely crazy to me how many good, wonderful, life-changing, mind-blowing, awesome things came out of this one event that completely shattered my world as a 12-year-old.
This brings me to the question: what do you consider your biggest trial? Something that shattered your world to the point where you knew it could never be the same again, and you wondered why? Why you, why then? Well... do you think that maybe a loving God looked at you and thought of you as he thought of me, "my child has things to learn"? So you began to move along your amazing adventure--the (painful) journey of growing into what He intended you to be.
Watch this. Can you see reflections of yourself in the currant bush's attitude? I know I can... I always wondered why. Why? Why? Why? But I'm beginning to see now--what I want is not what God wants for me, and in the end, what He wants is better. He's trying to make something from me that I've never imagined. It's going to be awesome when He gets done!
So here is my challenge for you. In stead of thinking with resentment, hopelessness or heartbreak at your situation, try looking at it with a positive spin. God never gives us a challenge that we can't overcome; if your challenges are hard, that means you are a stunning, magnificent being. Sometimes it's hard to see. But it's there. So try stopping the questioning and starting the learning... I think you'll find it's worth it. :)
Note: please be sensitive, as these are topics I have a hard time talking about, and are rather close to my heart. Just be gentle. Thanks. (:
Great post, Crafinini. I can definitely relate with how you felt moving away from everything familiar. We moved from Georgia when I was 14, so I faced a similar situation. I know exactly what you mean when you said the first couple years were difficult - acquiring new friends one by one. I totally agree though that moving to Oregon was the best thing for me, in more ways than one :) It's crazy to look at trials after the fact and realize how much of a blessing they were!
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