It's slightly insane for me to be composing this blog post right now, as I have my first nursing school test tomorrow, but I have had these thoughts running through my mind for the past week, and it's high time I share them.
I am someone who likes to be in control. For this reason, our decision to move to Athens was extremely harrowing for me, as it meant leaving behind my entire "known" and moving on to something so incredibly unpredictable. I had no idea if I'd make friends. I didn't know what our school schedules would mean for our relationship and if we'd have any time to spend together. I didn't know if I'd like living in Athens. There were so many factors I had no sway over. Couple that anxiety with the immensely supportive fellowship we experienced at CCC, and I was sure I'd never be as happy and loved as I was in Covington.
Enter God.
Our experience thus far in Athens has been eye-opening, shining a light on my deepest insecurities and what they mean. I don't trust God on a daily basis (or even a broader one) to really supply my needs. My feelings of anxiety and despair upon leaving our wonderful CCC community, while based on the very real and good love I have for all of those people, pointed to my reluctance to believe that, just maybe, something better was planned for us.
We are both really enjoying living in Athens. Our school schedules mesh well enough that we have regular mid-week date nights and at least one day a weekend with no school interrupting our time together (which as many of you know is likely more together time than we had when we were both working full time and commuting to Atlanta). We have each made friends that are peers and friends that are spiritual advisors. I have actually never felt this kind of easy, immediate connection with anyone before, and after a month of school, I already feel so supported by a handful of my classmates that I cannot imagine how I ever lived without them. The bible study with which we are involved has been deep and insightful, leading me to be introspective about my faith, and the women with whom I'm surrounded at school are equally encouraging in this aspect.
While I could never replace the people we loved so dearly and ferociously at CCC, I am hopeful that our time in Athens will be equally as growth-oriented and supported.
Basically, I feel like I've been hit with an oncoming blessings train. And this, my friends, is proof that God has plans for us that we cannot even begin to fathom. Great is His faithfulness.
"Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow -- blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside."
