Bloom Where You are Planted

There is ALWAYS a plan. Sometimes we may not know what it is. Often we may not like what it is. And usually we don't even realize there is a plan! But there is. More often than not I've missed seeing the plan as I tried to change the path I was on. Little did I know that I was fighting a much better plan! You see, when we got married we had our lives all planned out. Then Rick lost his job without any explaination. So we changed course and returned to college. Rick intended to return to the Navy as a pilot but the military lost his paperwork for several months. By that point Trace had been born and he had new priorities in life. What we couldn't have known was that our country was soon to be in a war that would last many years. I prayed and prayed for a pilot position to become available and just couldn't understand why Rick didn't pass his interview in the summer of 2001. Who ever thought something as catastrophic as 9-11 could happen which would have left Rick jobless? Again, there was a better plan in the works. I find myself wondering now what the plan is. How long will we be in the position we are currently in? How much longer until Rick is able to make captain? Will we ever own our own home again?

One of the things that has stressed me out the most is the lack of stability for our kids (Trace in particular). The longest he has ever lived in one house is just over two years. We are coming up on our two year anniversary in this house next week. Recently our house hunting was put on hold and honestly, I'm ok with that. I'm hoping the plan is to be able to stay here long enough for the kids to really put down some roots. As the sun came out the other day and the doorbell rang I heard little voices asking the boys to come out and play. Soon our entire cul-de-sac was swarming with kids. There were 10-15 kids at one point and a bunch of them were wrestling in our front yard! Paige was happily running up and down the street playing with the other little girls and their dolls. The boys were having Nerf sword fights and chasing each other while other kids were riding our Green Machine and scooters. It felt so right. It felt so good. To see the kids knowing the neighbor kids, to have those neighbor kids come asking them to play and to be able to let them all go out and play with few worries - that's what I want for them. I want them to remember the fun times running around the neighborhood. The neighbor kids who were fun and the ones who drove them crazy. The joy of being children! I hope this is the plan.

Paige playing dolls with her friends at the end of the street.

It was the first time she was willing to go down and play by herself.

When she decided she wanted her doll,

Trace so kindly delivered it to her!
This is how the boys spent most of their time!

Or this... (notice Ally running from them!) Trace decided shortly after this that sword fighting while on his unicycle probably wasn't the best of ideas. I think the pavement and his knees helped with that decision!
It may not be the house we would have chosen. They may not be the neighbors we would have chosen. But isn't that the way all of life goes? Make the best of the situation - Bloom where you are planted.