What A Difference A Day Makes

We have been in California for almost a year and a half now.  People have told me that it takes about 3 years for you to begin to feel at home in a new city and I’m sure that is true. This past week, we have had several things that have just made us stop and realize that this is really beginning to feel like home. Our church Sunday School class went as a group to the Getty Museum on Saturday and it was just a gorgeous day. As most of the group left, there were 6 of us still hanging around, trying to muster up enough strength after touring the grounds of 750 acres just to walk back to the car, so we  just sat under the shade of the most beautiful pepper trees (I don’t know why they are called pepper trees, I didn’t see any peppers or salt,)and drank coffee or tea having a great time of laughter and fellowship. All  3 couples ended up going shopping and out to eat mexican food that night. Driving home, Randy and I began to talk about how that was just such a sweet blessing to us. Something unplanned and spontaneous as shopping and dinner, made the whole day. Just sitting and talking and laughing like we didn’t have a care in the world was such a great time. We don’t do that enough. It seems that we are always in such a hurry to get someplace or get something done. Last night, we ended up walking about 6 blocks to some friends house to deliver a cake and ended up sitting on their front porch for over an hour, once again, just talking and had a marvelous time. We talked about it on the way back home, (well, in-between me stopping every block to loosen my tennis shoes and complaining about my foot) that those are the things that make us feel at home. The time spent visiting with others and sharing laughter and yes, chocolate cake, help create that feeling of “home” . We look back over this past year and 5 months and acknowledge that yes, we do miss family and friends who mean so much to us and who we can’t wait to see on visits back to Texas, but we are so blessed to have new friends who have truly allowed us into their hearts. If you are new to a city or area, give it time. God will use you where He plants you. Just look and expect the “day” to come when you wake up and realize that it is good and sweet to feel “at home”. Just give it a Day…..it will make a difference!