We've now lived in Richmond for a year. All in all, it hasn't been the best year of my life. I loved everything about my gig in Rock Hill, SC -- my job, my co-workers, my church, my community. I lived there for 11 years and there was nothing special about it as a city. I just grew a lot there, in and out of college, and I was only a couple hours from all of my best friends and family. Moving to Richmond showed me one of the biggest things about marriage. It's about sacrifice. If I had it my way, we would live in Rock Hill forever and I would be the Parks and Rec Director or Mayor or something awesome like that. If we had it Eric's way, we would live in Indianapolis forever and he would be some director at the NCAA. But both of us are willing to give up our "dream jobs" and comfort for what's best for our family. I love him for that. Five months after we moved, I got a blessing of a job and get to work with special needs adults and kids, which are the coolest people I know. I never thought when I moved into Winthrop as a freshman 12 years ago that my sport management degree would take me into recreation and public service but I'm so happy it did. It's an extremely emotional and annoying and tiring job, but I couldn't imagine doing anything else.
Eric and I both know we won't live in Richmond forever. It's not home for either of us and eventually when our own kids come along, we want family to be around. I remember telling him a few months ago when we were talking about that that I didn't want our time here to be a "dry" time for us, just buying our time and not investing in people while we were here. Our Remedy Church family and community was the best we have ever been a part of in Rock Hill and we'll always miss them. The first Sunday we visited a church together we both cried on the way home. Every Wednesday night we had community group and every week my friend Elizabeth and I would hang out together and pray for each other throughout the week. Wondering if I would ever find that again or wondering how long it would take to find that again was a lonely feeling on that first Sunday morning. But then we visited Remnant Church. As soon as we walked in, a couple invited us to their community group that was about a mile from our house on Monday nights. And that's where we've landed. The Cowgill community group has been our family away from our family and friends. And that is the point of the church. To point each other to Jesus, to grow together and love each other (and everyone) with the Gospel. Last week I walked around the lake with Cali and my friend Claire and we talked about these exact things. How moving here was hard for both of us, but how our community has been such a blessing. I look up to the way she loves Jesus, raises her kids, and I have no doubt she prays for me every week. God is good to give me her wisdom and my community here in Richmond.
God isn't good for taking a crappy situation for me and making it better. He's good because of His grace and mercy. Because I've done nothing to deserve anything I've been given. In a tough year, where I've pouted and complained to Him for most of it, He shows me how rich His mercy is, when I don't think He even cares. My growth in the Gospel doesn't depend on the people around me or the city that I live in. He goes with me and He never changes, so everything else doesn't really matter in the bigger scheme of life. When I stop and think about that, about what all I DO have here in Virginia, I have no need to complain.
