Catching Curve Balls

Life has changed dramatically for me in the last few months. I am recently married to an absolutely wonderful man, I am living in a new city and state, I have started a new job, I have moved twice in the last few months, and I am trying to find my bearings in the middle of all of this. Sometimes when life gives you so many changes at once, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

As for married life, I am lucky to have found a man I constantly laugh with. We truly enjoy being together. We were long distance for over two years, and that made living together in marriage that much more of a reward. Of course we bicker occasionally, and of course there are things we are realizing we don’t particularly love about each other (like why he seems to avoid the bathmat after his shower, and I seem to leave drinking glasses all around the house), but in the end I truly feel like the luckiest woman in the world. This has been an incredible change and challenge, but of the very best kind.

Moving and getting adjusted to a new place is not easy. I have done it many times before, several times even moving overseas and trying to find my bearings in a foreign place in a language I didn’t know. This time it is easier because I have my husband around, but I am still truly struggling with this move. I didn’t want to go away this time. I wanted to stay near my family and friends, and being hours away from them has been incredibly difficult. I know I will be able to adjust as I have before, but I will never have my family here. That alone makes me feel like this could never truly be home. My husband and I have found a new church where we have met some great new friends, but from my own experience, friends can never truly replace family.

As for the moving part, I first moved into my husband’s apartment, and now we are in the process of moving again to a new apartment with a better layout. I absolutely love my new apartment! The more spacious layout is just what we wanted, but it has not been easy by any means. Part of me whines deep down when will I finally be able to call a place home!? I am trying to be positive about it, but it has not been easy for sure. In my more self-pitying moments, which I call “pity parties”, I try to remember this verse:

“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22

I certainly don’t want to dry up my bones! This verse reminds me to think positively, remember that God is in control, and remember to keep a joyful demeanor and heart even when I don’t feel like it.

When I am throwing myself a full-blown pity party, and sadly, when I begin to take my bad attitude and sadness out on those around me, I stop and recite this verse:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6.

I need to remember just who needs to hear by troubles. Whining about something to my hard working husband is not always the way to go. Rather, spending a moment by myself, composing myself to be joyful and full of the spirit, I need to give my troubles to God to deal with.

This has not been easy, and believe me, it is a daily struggle to keep the stress from creeping up, especially when I have a bad day at my new job. Being joyful through the stress, however, is something I am determined to conquer. After all, life will continue to throw curve balls; I cannot change that. I can, however, change the way I react to them.