Hanging by a thread

So, moving is hard. I guess there is no way around it. Packing up everything you own, or at least what you have left after you have sold and purged, and driving your family and all your belongings twenty-eight hundred miles is not for the faint-hearted (in case you were wondering). And don't think I'm just saying that because I want you to think I'm all that. Not only is it a patience-trying, physically exhausting, stuck-in-a-snowstorm, flat-tire changing, stomach virus hard. It's really, really emotionally hard. Grace and joy got me through. (Thanks Jennifer! This is your shout out.)

There are times when I feel like I am hanging on by a thread.

Saying good-bye to friends family in WA, saying so long to our home and the places we have loved to go was harder than I thought it would be. Remembering those moments is heartbreaking. Trying to start over again with unfamiliar places, roads, faces, I have to tell you - hard. That's the sad news.

The good news is that our TN (as in Tennessee) life is really good. As we pulled up in the driveway, Donna and her family were waiting outside with welcome signs, big smiles and even bigger hugs. When we went to mass, Beth and her family were waiting for us just inside the doors. Maggie ran outside with open arms. More smiles and warm embraces. New friends right there waiting with greetings  - "It's so great to finally have you here." "We are so glad to see you."  "Welcome home".
Our new pastor greeted us warmly and welcomed us to Our Lady of Fatima. How many people move to a new place and have that kind of welcome? I couldn't help but think how grace-filled and joy-filled those moments were.

I think it was fortuitous that I was able to see the movie Les Miserable (twice:) before leaving Washington. Things like that always make me stop and think how unbelievably blessed I am in my life. So many friends in Washington, willing to help in any way, and, though it was hard for them too, bless us as we started out toward our new life. So much help and support from my family. Flying (one last time), packing, driving, unpacking, unpacking, unpacking, storing, feeding, hugging. A blessed life indeed. A grace-filled life.

Before we left Washington, and I was thinking about blogging about our southern life, I tried to think of a blog name. Admittedly, I wanted something clever, catchy, maybe even Latin. Thinking, thinking, more thinking...."Lord, what should I name my blog?"  - God really does care about the little things because he answered right away. "Threads of Grace." I was reminded of the comparison of the moments in our lives to threads in a tapestry. At the time, we can only see what is happening up close, a few threads at a time. Sometimes it doesn't make sense, sometimes not even pretty. Only in the light of eternity will we see the completed masterpiece. In the meantime, our Lord is weaving threads of grace throughout our lives. Hopefully we can see some of them in our up close and personal view.  But, if not, surely we will recognize those grace filled times in eternity, if not before.

I must tell you that we arrived in Maryville, at our new home, at 3:30 on Saturday evening. Mass was at 5:00pm. Not much time so shake the dust of the journey off, and prepare for mass. But do you know what was waiting for me? At the end of the journey? Grace. Sanctifying grace. Jesus met me with his own body and invited me to have a share in his own life.

Of course, Lord. Thank you, Jesus. I am happy to receive your gift of grace. Please weave threads of grace in this new season of my life. I'm ready.