We are in the middle of an overseas move, and everything has been going fantastically smoothly, until we arrived in Ramstein AFB today to take our overseas flight home.
For the first time, we encountered challenges in getting back. There was a young couple traveling with us, and they have two very young children. They are going on to Alabama upon arriving back, and really want to get back for Christmas.
I really felt compelled to model something different, not to tell her how to live, but to show her another way to live.
This whole scenario caused me to really want to evaluate what really matters, and what is really in our control. What really matters to me is that we're safe and not stressed, and that we recognize God really is dictating where we are and what we are doing.
Then I decided this model was for me. It was really important for me to savor these moments for my family, and remember that my integrity really comes down to how I act even when no one is watching. Now, plenty of people have been watching and how I carry myself and think about my situation does matter. But more important is what I do, JUST because.
So, I embraced taking this day as it comes. As a result, some powerful things happened. We got to see a friend, who took me to the commissary. We made plans to have dinner tomorrow with friends. We watched "Die Hard," which I had never seen before! We had a nice dinner, and I got to completely reconfigure our suitcases. We chatted with a bunch of friends.
It was a poignant day just because we practiced paying attention. I will do that again, because this day has been filled with such meaning! And I believe we got to teach our kids a lesson I wasn't ready to learn at that age, a lesson in gratitude, and making the most of every situation.
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