Rooted.To Step Into The New

Who moves in December?

That's what I asked myself all last week as I rapidly packed, sorted through my LA time capsule, and did.all.the.things. And all the while preparing for Christmas. 🎄 Which we were celebrating two whole days early. Because life simply wasn’t crazy enough 😜

But then I remembered two other moves. Both in December. Both after a long period of waiting. Both marking new seasons in my life.

🏡 In 1993, our family moved into a new home, one large enough for all of us, including my grandmothers. We had waited a long, long time but when the movement came it was nothing short of a miracle. Like a promise fulfilled.

🏠 In 2002, I moved into my first studio apartment in Los Angeles. The wait had been shorter, but the challenge seemed even greater. $550 a month. How was I ever going to afford that?!? And what was it going to be like living intentionally in a different neighborhood?

And now, 2022. Moving into my first home. Six years after a still small voice whispered, “You’re going to live here one day.” Three and a half years after saying no to another unit so that I could take care of my Dad, when that same small voice said, “I did it once, and I can do it again.” And nearly 12 years since I left my life in LA to start over again not knowing if I would be home a month, a year, or as it happened, much, much longer.

✨Advent is a season of waiting. Waiting for the coming promise. Waiting with a sense of wonder and hope. Waiting for a vision to be fulfilled. Waiting for a season to change.

But what happens when it does finally change?

I woke up the morning after my move thinking about how Mary must have waited. After the initial shock of it all wore off, what did the in between time feel like for her? And when the moment finally came how did she really feel? Like really, really feel.

In the first 72 hours, after all the waiting of 3 years, 6 years, and 12 years, I have had real moments of sheer panic, big blubbery tears, and thoughts of, "What the blankety blank have I just done?" 😭 And just WHAT is supposed to happen now?!?

I wonder if Mary felt the same way? 🤷🏼‍♀️

I guess we don't know. But have YOU ever felt that way?

Maybe you’re in a season of personal waiting? Or collectively waiting for your organization. Or dare I say it, both? Waiting is hard for sure. But there is a familiarity about it. And we can get comfortable with routine patience. Or the hope that seems almost imaginary.

Sometimes it’s easier to wait than to step into the new season. Because moving into that thing we’ve been waiting for means ending a season of familiarity and stepping into perceived chaos. Living by faith takes on a whole new meaning. The stakes are higher. And the proverbial you-know-what could really hit the fan.

I'm stepping into the invitation and promise *after* the waiting. Even when it's uncertain and unsettling. Even when…

And I'm pondering it all in my heart. ❤️

I invite you to do the same.