There are a lot of things in life that I
miss. I miss the carefree days of childhood, when I could finish all my school
work by noon and spend the rest of the day frolicking in the woods. I know in a
few months, I will miss Michigan summer, and its tame temperature of 80 degrees.
J
I will miss the crisp mornings and evenings. I miss riding horses at summer
camp.
I will miss spending the 4th of
July at my
Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I will miss swimming in the neighbor’s pool;
peach cobbler, burgers hot off the grill, ice cold watermelon slices; shooting off
fireworks from the driveway; swimming in Lake Erie; reading on the screened-in
back porch; and listening to the train whistles.
I miss being
on the cruise ship during our family vacation. I miss having a suburban and
5 weeks of vacation a year. I miss being able to hop in the car and be at my
Grandparents’ house in 3 hours.
But as much as I love places and things, what
I miss most in life is people. My dream would be to have all the people I know
and love on this earth in one place. But my friends and family are scattered
all over the world, and some don’t even walk this earth any more. As long as I
live, there will be people I miss and have to live apart from.
While I love and miss people, I know I can’t
constantly dwell on the past. Like the story in Genesis when Lot’s wife looks
back on Sodom and turns into a pillar of salt, there are consequences if I
constantly look backwards. There is a time and a place to look back and thank
God for the blessings He has given me, and a time when I must move forward,
forging new relationships and ministering to those around me.
But without further ado—and in no particular
order—here are some pictures of those I miss the most:
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My
Grandma and Grandpa.
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My
Abuela and Abuelo.
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My
cousins.
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More
cousins.
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My church family in
Michigan (and the awesome VBS they did every year. J)
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Bright Lights.
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My adopted cousins. J
We’re now spread out across Japan, Michigan, and Texas!
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Worship Dance.
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Pastor S.
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R and Mr. Chris.
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My bestie, who ALWAYS
put a smile on my face.
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Mr. J, one of the
most fun assistant Sunday School teachers I’ve ever had.
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The R family and the
encouragement they gave me.
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Mr. M, our great
Sunday school teacher.
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My best friends and
mentors (and adopted family. J)
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Mrs. F.
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Mr. L, Valencia, and
Mr. A.
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Michigan misses you, too!
ReplyDeleteJoanie M. and family
We miss you more than words can say, but thank you for all those beautiful pictures you posted. As the chinese poverb says, "A picture is words a thousand words." We miss most, the comfort of knowing that if we were lonely or simply wanted to see you, 3 hours and a tank of gas got us there. However,we take comfort in knowing that you are where God has planted you, so continue sowing and be ready for a spectacular harvest. We love. BIA AND BIO
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment, Mrs. M! It was good to hear from you. We miss Michigan! We can't wait for August. :-)
ReplyDelete~Bianca Osborne
aww... we miss dancing with you, participation in BL with you, and just chilling out with you all as a family, too! But then again... there IS a wonderful invention known as the "airplane"... across the country isn't THAT far anymore:)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind comment, Bia and Bio! It is an adjustment to be 20-24 hours away from you instead of 3, but it makes our times together more special. But as you said, we trust that God has a purpose for us being here, and we eagerly serve Him right where we're at!
ReplyDelete~Bianca
The airplane is a wonderful invention, Lydia! :-) I just wish it wasn't such an expensive invention to use!
ReplyDelete~Bianca