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Still Trying To Keep It Real

The day has finally come when I feel like I need to write a personal post. You won’t hurt my feelings if you are here for flowers and decide to forgo this post. I’ll catch you tomorrow with more flowers!

My family has been on a journey for the last couple of years. I wrote about our journey here and here. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I would love for you to go back and read those posts to have some context for the post I’m about to write. I had to go back and read them myself to remember how we got to the place where we sit today.

Early this spring, I began writing the personal post below, got interrupted and never went back to finish it. Our life took an unexpected turn and I wasn’t able to bring myself to finish it…until now. It read:

At My House…

…my days are spent dangling somewhere between elation and fear. Our house (which doesn’t actually belong to us) is filled with life…in every sense of the word. Music is a constant in our world…from LeCrae to Bon Iver to David Crowder to George Strait to Shane & Shane to classical music I can’t even name. All of our guys play guitar and sing. Their individual voices waft through the air at different parts of my day…and I am blessed. We also have preteen, teenager and adult concerns and emotions pulsing through the house. Each one of us has hurts, worries and questions that surface from time to time…and we are learning to live closely and be ourselves and share one another’s burdens…and I feel blessed. We have plenty of dirty laundry, dirty dishes, messy rooms and dirty floors. And, as I allow my mind to drift toward the desire to have a clean house with everything in it’s place, one of the guys appears and I remember that life is not about a clean house…and I feel blessed. We have a perpetual sporting event in motion…basketball, football, soccer, Frisbee…and when it’s not happening outside or at a gym, we watch all of it on TV! Occasionally, I fantasize about…”

Now let me catch you up…

After moving into this house, we had many guests stay in the B&B. We had a college student move into the garage apartment below the B&B. We had a college student move into the house with us. And, of course we had our own two boys at home. One was a Senior in high school and the other a 7th grader. We had 4 boys in our house and it was an amazing experience. I remember telling one of the college guys one day that I had a strong feeling that the Lord was preparing us for a much harder task and having this full house of amazing young men was actually the Lord’s way of transitioning me…because it was outside my comfort zone, but still so fulfilling.

I think my hunch was right. Since the spring, one of the college students graduated and got married, one of the college students moved into a house with roommates, our oldest son left for college and we are down to one boy in the house! What a difference 6 months can make. And here’s the hard part…the next part of “our story” became apparent. The Lord didn’t call us to be obedient to Him by loving another complete stranger or another college student or another person in need. He called us to be obedient in the most vulnerable place…our church. Since I’m not even sure how to describe what has happened in our church since the early spring, I’ll just say that a level of devastation has taken place that has stunned me. It’s devastation brought on by people…not by the Lord. We have devoured each other in a place that should be safe. The hurt has been deep and all-consuming. Because this is the third time in my adult life to witness this chain of events in my church, I’m tempted to retreat and never look back…at the church, not at the Lord. How can “Christians” cause such pain to one another with no desire to allow forgiveness and reconciliation?

I must be honest and tell you that we are struggling to know what is next for us. My only desire is to continue listening and watching for the Lord’s guidance. In the meantime, I’ve decided that I need an outlet for my thoughts…and don’t want to disrupt the “flow of flowers” at the Brouhaha. So you can catch my thoughts on things other than flowers at the Galvanized Garden if you’re interested.

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“Anchor of my soul, you’ll sustain. When I’m in the storm, you’ll remain good to me.” -Josh Garrels

007

Meet you back here tomorrow with more flowers. I appreciate you all more than you know!

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  1. Oh Amy, I feel the pain in your words. All I can say is that HE has a plan, and you already know that. Your friends here are here for you, and this is part of you, not just abput pretty flowers.

  2. Kelly 3Leaf says:

    Thanks for your honesty Amy. I know you’re taking comfort in the fact the HE will move in your life even more when we are going through times of uncertainty. Thanks for speaking truth… :)I’m excited to hear how He is going to start moving in your life!

  3. I so appreciate your candor. We watched the church we grew up in fall apart a few years ago. Despite an astounding amount of bitterness and hurt, God has been good to reconcile that broken church family in recent months. Staying and loving through that struggle is such a challenge, but God is gracious. Praying for you!

  4. Praying for you and your church family, Dear Friend.

  5. Amanda Mae says:

    Thinking of you, Amy. As much as I adore the flower posts, I love that you keep it real with the personal posts as well. You’ll find your way =)

  6. Oh Amy. I don’t know what’s going on, but I know I’ve seen it happen before too. You are a better woman than most. I love you.

    On a brighter note, coffee sometime this Christmas?

  7. Paula says:

    I’m fairly new here and haven’t commented before, but I am always thrilled to find someone who loves flowers & Jesus too! Praying for your church family…I know how deeply difficult these things can be. Thank you so much for what you do here on your blog…I love it! ~ Paula with Paisley Petals (www.paisleypetals.com)

  8. kriken says:

    hello~ I have to be honest I read your blog for the pictures, but today I actually read your post and read back to your other keeping it real posts. I am so inspired by how you and your family were able to let go of the security of a house because God wanted you to. I struggle with letting go of control and truly giving my life up for the Lord. I want to say again you are an inspriation and I am sure that the plan He has for you will more awesome than you can possibly imagine.

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