Before we moved, I suspected that it
would take me quite a long time to make new friends, and I wasn’t quite sure
how that would happen or how long it might take. I can’t believe I
left this important consideration to “chance” when we thought of where in
Florida we might move. We have visited a
number of communities about which I said, “They basically are all the same.” I have since discovered from others who had
settled in some other community first and then moved here, that that is NOT
true! When it comes to making friends, all places are apparently not created equal!
There are lots of reasons why someone
might choose a place to live. Would you
like to know mine? The major reason we
chose this community was because it had the model home layout I was looking
for. We didn’t want a big house, but I did
want one with an open concept living space.
I fell in love with this home where you enter at the front door and from
there walk into the living room, which blends into the dining room, which
blends into the kitchen. In thinking
back to that choice however, I wonder why it never occurred to me to ask, or
investigate, or talk to other residents, about whether this was a friendly
place to live! Thankfully, the Lord knew
how important that was to me, and was looking out for me, even when I wasn’t
thinking!
Once we got here, one of the first
things I noticed as we walked through neighborhoods, or visited the clubhouse,
or just drove our car, was that people were so friendly! In northern New Jersey, just a hop, skip and
a jump from New York City, we didn’t experience that much. When going anywhere, but especially in New
York, we were used to staring straight ahead or down at the ground instead of
making eye contact. Here people you don’t
even know say, “good morning”, and they wave at you. Clerks at Publix call you sweetie and offer
to carry your groceries to the car! It’s
like living on another planet! Once I
got over the shock (I actually had to look around at first to be sure they were
talking to me), I came to love it!
I still didn’t know though whether
this wonderful friendliness would apply to actually making friends. I decided that I wouldn’t wait for others to
act first. Just a month or so in, the
Lord put it on my heart and the heart of another neighbor to partner together
to organize monthly coffee and breakfast dates for women. We had our first in my home, but have graduated to
a local café. This has turned out to be
a big hit with the women in our neighborhood.
We are always finding new women to invite who have just moved in and
some lovely relationships are forming. I’m
so grateful to the Lord for providing this, not only for me, but for each of us
here who have longed for connection with other women and are far from family.
There is a weekly Bible study here in
our community. Seeing the notice for
that on the board at the clubhouse when we first got here was so exciting to me! There were other women here who share my
faith and love for God’s Word! Whoo hoo!
I have
attended that study pretty regularly for months now and have met many ladies on a
casual basis. Then a few months ago, when
the Bible teacher took a break, she encouraged me to lead a study of my own
while she was gone. So began a weekly
study, on a different day, in my home. Through
that I have met some wonderful women and deeper friendships are forming. In
addition to studying together, we have shared burdens, mutually encouraged one
another, and prayed for each other. What
a blessing! What an amazing God thing,
what a gift the Lord has given me personally, and all of us, through that study.
The Bible teacher went away again
this month and I am filling for the next 4 weeks. Yesterday
I had the privilege of leading four different women in a different study than
the one we do on Tuesday. By the end of
our time, due to our shared faith, and some very transparent sharing, we seemed
like instant friends. What a blessing to
meet them and get to know them as well.
And then there is church. Helping with Vacation Bible School, where we volunteered
for a week of mornings to serve snack to a hoard of excited and energetic kids,
we met some lovely people who share our love for Jesus. And this morning I went to an event for women
called, “Mug and Muffin”. We each
brought a mug, had coffee and muffins, and heard some speakers encourage us in
our faith. We also shared at our tables
the ways in which the Lord is light and living water in our lives.
People whom I met at Vacation Bible School
and through teaching 2nd through 5th graders once a
month, actually know my name, and I know theirs, and they say, “hi”. Each week I’m feeling more and more at home
there – something I thought would not happen for quite some time. How gracious of God to provide for my need
for connection, so quickly and so completely!
Then on Thursday morning, some women
from church met in a neighboring town to study a book called, “Women of the
Word”. Before I even went to the study
where we would discuss the book, I was rejoicing over some insight the Lord had
given me through it that would deepen my own study of the Bible and also make
my teaching richer and more meaningful. Meeting more new women was icing on my spiritual cake!
In just a month we will have lived in
Florida for a year, and later this month we will have lived in this community
for 6 months. Before we made this major,
life changing move, so many miles from the state in which Jim and I had lived
all our lives, we didn’t know what to expect but we hoped it would prove to be a
good one!
The Lord has taken care of all of those
unknowns and then some. He has helped us
adjust to weather that some just might describe as “hellish”. He led us to settle in a neighborhood where
everyone is so friendly and welcoming because He knew we’d need that – even though
that wasn’t even on our radar when we made our choice! He has endlessly gifted me with women who are
not just acquaintances, but potentially really good friends, many of them
sisters in Christ. He has led us to a
church that feels more and more like home. And He has opened the door to the ministry
to which He called me long ago – the teaching of God’s Word – and not just at
church where I expected it – but here in our community, where I didn’t!
I’m so grateful to the Lord for all
of the ways in which I can see His hand of blessing! Today, my heart is bursting with joy. Thank You, Lord!
Psalm 115:1 “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of
Your love and faithfulness.”
