I flew from NYC to Rogers AR on Wednesday, May 20, 2009. This was a milestone in my life and a huge transition geographically, physically and emotionally. God's plans and grace and mercy were evident in many ways. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be obedient to Him. It's not always easy, but it's always right.
So many people were praying for my flight. It was amazing. I felt such a calm. My plane circled NYC after takeoff and I was able to get a wonderful view of the city. I could actually make out Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side, which is just a block from my apartment. It was a nice way to say goodbye. That was truly a 'God thing' and such a blessing to me.
The planned 4 hour flight actually got into DFW an hour early so a short layover ended up being long enough for me to grab some lunch before my final flight to Northwest Arkansas. The short 46 minute flight to XNA was the same as many of the subway rides I took just to get across the city on some days. The circumstances around an amount of time can be so different. God is the creator and holder of time, and it is amazing sometimes to see what He can do with it.
I arrived at my friend Nana Ruth's apartment and was accidentally locked out. It was a beautiful day and I just sat on the steps, surrounded by my luggage and wrote in my journal. It was just the way I had started my day in NYC. It all seems surreal sometimes. It all makes me so aware of how much God is in control of our lives. He can give us the most awesome experiences. It's hard to believe that He would care enough about me to have every second of my life on His mind. It's amazing and humbling. I'm so thankful for the times He allows me to sit and really think about things like that.
Wednesday night was filled with a quick dinner out with Nana Ruth and an early bedtime. It was such a long day (up very early, physical travel, emotional ups and downs, excitement) and I slept like a baby! It's so quiet here compared to the background hum of the city noise.
Thursday, I spent at the church in a couple of meetings, gathering information and doing some recon work on getting up my office. I got to grab a quick nap before Nana Ruth got home and then we went to pick up the borrowed vehicle that the Eaton family have so graciously allowed me to use. I'm famous for naming vehicles and I'm calling this one the Chariot. I am blessed beyond words by this wonderful gesture. I made my first Walmart stop to pick up some food, personal items and stuff for the office. What a treat to walk through a store with wide aisles, pushing a shopping cart and finding cheap prices!!!
Today, I worked on unpacking boxes and fixing up my office, with the help of my friend Joe (who was a great help and good company). I love my little office. It's small, plain and shows signs of being well used in the past. A lot like the spaces in NYC. I'm putting it together with odds and ends of furniture and some personal items of my own. It's going to be a great place to work, pray and visit with all the people I'll be networking with. I'm very thankful.
In some ways it seems that I never left here or spent 2 years in NYC or experienced all that has come my way in the last few years. But in other ways, it's evident that something has happened in my life since I was last living here. I see a growth in me as a person and as a Christian. I am so thankful for the opportunity to love God more deeply, seek Him more diligently, share Him more boldly, follow Him more obediently, and experience Him more intimately. I love where I am in my walk with Him. And I'm so excited for what He is bringing into my life for my near and continued future. There is so much to be done for His kingdom and He is so worthy to be honored and praised and obeyed.
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