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| The sisters and parents you hear so much about! Cathy is on my left, and Kay is on my right. |
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| Yes, this is our sweet girl wedding shopping! |
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| The happy couple. I can't believe our baby is getting married! |
Well, friends, it is a yucky, ugly morning in Vienna, Austria, this Christmas Eve. We have "freezing fog," which means if we lived in the hills that surround Vienna, our world would be covered in white hoarfrost--which is really, really beautiful. Since we don't, it means that we can barely see across the street from us. The fog in Vienna is honestly like no fog I have ever seen anywhere on earth. Seriously. It's thick. But who cares? It's Christmas Eve!!
I think I am over my jetlag, which is never as bad coming this way as it is going toward the States. I had a wonderful trip back to Florida. My sisters, Cathy and Kay, surprised me by flying in for a few days. (When I say surprise, I mean SURPRISE! There was a lot of screaming.) I got to visit with my parents, see for myself that my Daddy really is doing well, and attend the wedding of long-time friends. The wedding was particularly sweet for me. I've watched both the bride and groom grow up, and it was such a pleasure to see them so happy. Who doesn't love to see people you adore truly happy?!?! It was great. That my parents were also invited and attended with me was a sweet bonus. Plus, I got to see friends from my former life as a teacher, and I loved hearing how really wonderful things are at Fleming Island High School, which I will always consider my school. Of course, Sarah Beth was there the last five days I was there, and we got to celebrate her engagement to a wonderful guy and do some wedding shopping. So much fun and joy and giggling! It was really, really a great trip--fun and relaxing and great all around. And you know what was also really great? The moment the Austrian Air jet touched down in beautiful Vienna, and I teared up, because I was HOME.
If you want to be entertained, ask an MK where they are from, or where home is. We watched this happen to Hannah when we were in Germany at a conference. One of the volunteers (such a sweet group from Houston) asked Hannah, "So where are you from?" And Hannah looked like she'd been asked a really complicated chemistry question. She fumbled around for a while, trying to figure out what to say, before finally responding, "What do you mean? Where did we live in the States? Or where is home?" Because the truth is that the answer to those two questions is different. For Han and John, home is Austria. Our lives are firmly planted in Vienna. Look on the Facebook page of an MK, and very often their 'from' answer will not be in the States. I experienced some of this at church. "Is it good to be home?" sweet folks would ask. And of course, I knew what they meant, and I answered that yes, it was very good to be home. But in my brain, my immediate response was, "I'm not home." It wasn't that I wasn't enjoying myself or loving eating at Chik-fil-a and drinking Diet Dr. Pepper. I was loving every second with my parents and sisters and Sarah Beth. But home is Vienna.
Maybe this seems a weird subject for Christmas Eve. But to me, Christmas Eve is a great time to reflect on all that God has accomplished this year in our lives, and a HUGE thing He has accomplished is that Vienna has become our home. It's not just that we are content and know we are called here. It's not just that we are surviving. It's not even just that it's a lovely culture and a language that's 'doable.' We are truly happy in Vienna. Hear me on this--happiness is not guaranteed, nor is it necessary to fulfilling God's call on our lives. We are not promised happiness. But I am enjoying the perk of happiness in my life right now. Does that mean everything about our lives in Vienna is perfect? No, of course not. There is no perfect place. But that tension that exists when you are someone who lives outside of your own country has greatly diminished. We feel comfortable in German, and we grow more and more comfortable every day. (On a side note--a really nice moment for me was when I was coming home, and the Austrian Air flight attendants did not switch to English when they heard me speak. I sound like an American speaking German, but it was a nice thing for me that they knew I could respond to them and understand them in their language.) You're probably sick of hearing about it, but we love our neighborhood and our flat so much. We have a great Austrian church, where we are welcomed and included as part of the church. We are really happy with our team and Marc's job. We have great friends in Vienna. The kids are getting a good education and enjoying the perks that come with living overseas. Vienna is incredibly safe, and they have the run of the city as long as they have their phones. And we have ministry that is really developing in our life as a family. It's an exciting time in our lives.
Here's the thing about our happiness, though. We are enjoying it all the more because we weren't happy for a while. If all goes swimmingly 100% of the time, then the joy of things going really well is diminished a bit. One of the things about rejoicing in all circumstances is knowing that even in the darkest of seasons, brighter days are coming. And in our experience as Christians, brighter days come. Do we despair sometimes during a dark season? I'd love to tell you that we never despair because our faith is so huge, but that would be a lie. Sometimes, we fall into the sin of despair. But we are incredibly blessed with folks who love us and will remind us of the truth--brighter days come. The Father knows what He's doing. Hang on. I'm so thankful for sweet friends who don't allow us to wallow in whatever darkness surrounds us. I'm so thankful for people who speak the truth--always in love--into our lives. Because what we often need is not people who will tell us that our lives really are so hard and that we are right to feel sorry for ourselves, but people who will remind us that God has been, is, and will always be incredibly good to those He loves. And in the manger all those years ago, to the old, rugged cross, to the empty tomb--He has declared again and again His great, incredible, overwhelming love for us.
Well, friends, there are cookies to bake and Chex Mix to stir up and put in the oven. Wherever you are in the world, I pray that whether your season is dark or bright, you will rejoice in the joy of knowing that the Creator of the Universe holds you in His mighty right hand, and that you are looking forward to a day filled with people you really love. Blessings to you and yours--and Merry Christmas!
His,
Kellye
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