So...what's the plan?

Oh, how I wish that I could figure out a way or make myself make the time to write more often.  So many times I compose things to write in my head, usually while showering, exercising or mowing.  Not exactly the time to sit down and write.  By the time I am done life is moving on and I soon forget my great idea.

Last night we were at church for a fun picnic hang out night on the lawn.  We let our children run themselves ragged, while we adults chatted.  Funny thing for me was that my conversation seemed to go pretty much the same with every person I spoke to.  So…

What are our plans, especially since the school year is almost done?

I’ll be honest with you, no putting up a brave front.  We are all tired of living in 2 different places, of only spending the weekends together.  For almost 2 months now Ron has been coming home every weekend because he doesn’t want to have to stay in Baltimore in his room (he has a bedroom and bathroom with kitchen privileges) by himself.  It had gotten harder for the girls to have to wait 2 weeks to see their daddy, especially for Gracie.  I am not sure that I would say having him come every weekend has really made it easier on any of us though.  It is tough to drive 8 hours in a weekend to spend less than 48 hours together.  It is hard to have to go through the separating thing every weekend. 

Single parenting stinks!  It is not the way God intended for it to be.  Parenting is a partnership.  Partnerships do not work very well long distance.  Marriage is the union of a man and a woman.  You can’t have a union if you are not living in the same house or even state.  Separation puts a strain on things.  I can say that I am so blessed in the husband, partner that God gave me.  Ron calls me every morning on his way to work to say “good morning”, some mornings it is just that and nothing more.  We talk, text, email and instant message throughout the day.  Well, most days and sometimes it is just “hi”. 

You know the saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”  I would say it is more along the lines of separation makes you realize how much your hearts, thoughts, and lives are intertwined with your beloveds.  I love him more every day of my life, not just when he has been away from me for a long period of time.  Absence makes you crave time together, spending time in your beloved’s presence. 

Absence also makes you depend more on the Lord and to turn to Him to get you through the tough moments.  A few weeks ago the girls and I got the stomach bug.  I DO NOT do throw-up, that is Ron’s job.  The girls know to go to him for that.  Well, I had to clean up for all 3 (until I got sick too and then Ron came down to help us through for a couple days).  God got me through it!!!  God has gotten me through bad days, tired days, pity party days, and days when I was just so down over being apart and was missing Ron terribly.  Thank you Lord for seeing me through, for carrying me and my burden.

Ron has already and continues to apply for rentals in Baltimore.  The rental market in down town/ inner harbor areas of Baltimore move really fast and is pretty competitive.  We have been turned down already for a rental without a reason, turned down for having too many people in our family, and missed one because someone else got their application in before we did.   We hope to be able to move in June.  I personally hope it is before the last week in June so that the girls can go to VBS at our new church in Baltimore, Dundalk EPC.  It would be great if they could have that time to get to know some of the other children at church before the school year starts.

What about the house in Lynchburg?

We are going to leave it on the market until the end of summer.  God has blessed our finances and we are able to afford to rent for the summer without having someone rent our house.  Did that make sense?  It will actually not cost us much more to rent in Baltimore for all of us than it is costing now to live apart and be commuting every weekend.  We can’t do it for longer than the summer though.  If we get no offers by then, we will rent it out.  We are hoping not to have to go that route but God is in control and has it all laid out, we just have to continue to trust His plan.  We do have one family that has asked about the lease-purchase option.  They have a home in another state that they have been trying to sell while they rented a home here.  Their lease is up mid-summer and they like our house.  There is also a man from North Carolina who has his home on the market and would love to put an offer on as soon as he is able to sell his.  So, there are those possibilities floating out there.  God has His good and perfect plan, we just need to trust Him.  Our realtor says that we should have no problem renting our house, if it comes to that.

Every other time that we have moved since owning (instead of renting), our house has sold quickly.  It is just going differently this time than it has every other time.  That does not mean that God is not in control this time.  I think it does mean that He is teaching us, growing us.  I have really learned a bunch about running the race that has been set before you with endurance.  Things don’t always go how you plan or think.  You have to adapt your expectations and accept the course that the Lord has laid out before you.  His plan is perfect, the Potter has made it just for you because He knows just how you need to be molded to be more like Him.  Isn’t He awesome!