“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters welling up in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land where you may eat bread without scarcity, where you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper. You shall eat your fill and bless the Lord your God for the good land that he has given you.” (Deuteronomy 10:7-10 NRSV)

Half of 2018 is gone. It’s hard to believe, and yes, that means Christmas is less than six months away. In the United Methodist Church this time of year not only signifies the mid-point of the calendar year, but many churches welcome a new pastor. Our family has been looking forward to our new appointment for many months and of course there is anxiety about a new place to live, a new congregation and all of the stress that comes with packing boxes and moving.

I had no idea what I was about to experience.

Monday morning thirty people showed up at our home to unload the U-Haul. We are not in a big city, folks. Thirty people. They were unloading faster than I could direct them! When I opened the refrigerator, a homemade pot roast, salad, cornbread, green beans and brownies were waiting on us for dinner. More food came throughout the day as people stopped in to welcome us to the neighborhood.

A church member, two houses away, brought banana bread (it lasted less than 24 hours) and she told us that she was a professor at ENMU. Julian started talking to her and made some connections and for the first time in months, my son was excited about the possibility of attending the school. A huge blessing, disguised as banana bread.

In our first 24-hours, Caeleb experienced some things that brought happiness to my heart. He caught a frog for the first time, and realized that the frog’s home is next to our front porch. Two boys from across the street invited him over to play games, and two more boys from down the street stopped by to hunt frogs. He was filthy and happier than I’ve seen him in a long time.

My husband’s first Sunday in the pulpit was today and we walked in with some anxiety. It was put to rest almost immediately. The people of Texico/Farwell are some of the most down to earth, compassionate, hard-working people I’ve ever met, and they welcomed me and my family with open arms. Sunday school and the service could not have gone better. I was even able to snatch a precious, one-month old baby girl to love on. The day could not get any better.

I don’t know why pastor’s are sent to certain appointments, but what I have learned over the past several years, walking alongside my pastor husband, is that we are put places for reasons we sometimes cannot begin to understand. Today I started to see a glimpse of what is yet to come.

And it looks pretty amazing.

Today I Am Thankful For:

1. rain
2. Mexican food
3. the Dollar Store
4. empty boxes
5. frogs