4/11/12

Finding Me




Vacations are good for many things. We recently returned from our SB2k12 trip. (Also known as Spring Break 2012) to Destin, Florida with some of our treasured friends from Indy. The most memorable times were the 38+ hours of listening to The Hunger Games, sleeping in the Target parking lot after we tried to get into our condo at 6 a.m. (don’t think the previous week stayers enjoyed the door being opened), dancing to “We are Young” at the Red Barn, and eating THE best of Destin. Life seemed to stand still for a week. Now that is a gift.  Among the days at the beach and the rainy days on the porch, I found myself engulfed with the depth of my life. Recent moments flashed in my thoughts as well as the days ahead.

While drinking rum punch and applying more sunscreen, my time was spent in deep thought, in deep prayer. Thanks to the book Bittersweet, which was recommended by my admirable friends Bri and Shana, it gave me a platform for this depth. The book talks about how life is at all times bitter but yet sweet.

 "This is what I've come to believe about change: it's good in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good, and failure is good. By that I mean that it's incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God's hand, which is where you wanted to be all along, except that you were too busy in pushing and pulling your life into exactly what you thought it should be."- Shauna Niequist

As I type, tears fill my eyes as our friends’ niece recently died at a young age. Fourteen months of pain ended. Life is bitter but yet sweet. Hour after hour. Story after story. Moment after moment.  Bitter yet sweet.

As my awareness of Bittersweet dwells in my thoughts, I cannot help but be grateful for my life. For my friends. For my family. Life is good when you’re in community and it’s hitting me hard.
I’m sure you’ll hear more about this book and how it’s directed my recent thoughts on life and home but I am thankful for a time to write. Thanks for following along, you are quite lovely!

(P.S..... SB2k12 pics will come eventually!)

3 comments:

Sha said...

So glad you enjoyed the book. Can't wait to chat about it and also for you to read her other book. It's just as good and heart tugging as this one.

Rachel Jones said...

Thanks for sharing this and about the book. I hope to read it soon!

Unknown said...

I cannot wait to read the book!