The Process of Moving In And Having Different Perspectives
When we first bought our home, we weren’t as excited as we should have been. We were exhausted from all the financial planning, the physical demands of packing and unpacking, the mental load of trying to plan how we were going to move out by our apartment lease deadline, and the general stress of all the things you need to know and do when you sign a contract and buy a home for the very first time.
It’s a huge milestone and accomplishment, buying a home.
And by the time we had gotten the keys from the seller and drove back home, we were ready to collapse. We were also in shock that we’d finally did it. That was it. We were officially homeowners.
After walking through our home and taking it all in for ourselves, I (Mari) pulled out my phone to invite all of our friends and family into the moment and vlog a bit.
While we felt all the excitement and shock and gratitude in our hearts, as I edited the vlog I noticed something. Our daughter.
She was pointing at…well everything, in awe. She would say “wow” or gasp or stare and giggle in excitement. She would yell just to hear her voice echo in the large space.
Coming from a one bedroom apartment, her gratitude for the new blessing was apparent.
I found myself thinking: Where is our gratitude? Where is our awe? Where is our appreciation for the moment?
I mean, Tyler and I slowed down just enough to know what was happening but did we really slow down enough?
The contrast between our flat tones and tired smiles versus our daughter’s bright energetic countenance was huge.
Watching my daughter openly express her amazement stirred something in me. Yes, I laughed at how adorable she was but I also noted the lesson that she taught me in that moment.
We know that God gave us our child so that we could teach her but we find that God often uses her to teach us.
It reminded me of a bible verse that I’d read in my morning devotional.
“Truly I tell you” he [Jesus] said, “unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child, this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:2-3 (CSB)
In that moment, my daughter demonstrated how to slow down. When the world gives us deadlines and tasks and stuff, we must slow down enough to truly experience the beauty in life. The humility it takes to go slow is a challenge that I’ve yet to master but I am grateful that God is gracious and still presents me with these opportunities to go slow.
We must slow down to truly thank our Heavenly Father and stand in awe of His provision; of His goodness and faithfulness to us.
And I really think that it’s in the slowing down that we experience life the most.
After noticing my daughter, it seemed contradictory to slow down our moving process. Especially with a deadline! But my husband and I actually decided to stop moving boxes and take a day off. That day we just basked in it all. We had finally done it! Slowing down was the best decision we could’ve ever made.
We decided to sleep in our unfurnished home that night. All of us cuddled together on a pile of all the blankets and quilts we could find. We fell asleep watching a movie together, the warmth of our bodies also warming our hearts. That small act of slowing down is a memory none of us will forget. We got to be together in the moment. Our new home may have been practically empty but our hearts were so full that night because we chose to slow down.
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