This week I mark many anniversaries of personal experiences... Next week I will attend my 20 year high school reunion (how I got that old so fast I'll never know). That is just crazy to me, but in that 20 years, I've lived in 4 states and in each of those states I've been blessed by friendships that have allowed me to deepen roots and put this whole blooming idea into action!
In 1993 I very spontaneously left my hometown to move to Birmingham, AL. I knew exactly two people in Birmingham and have no idea why I moved there other than the fact that at the time, I knew without a doubt that that was where I was meant to go... three months after moving there I met Kip and now know without a doubt why I was meant to move to Birmingham!
Fast forward 6 years and one wedding later to March 17, 1999... that fateful day know as Match Day. For those not in the medical community, this means nothing, but this is the day where eager and excited medical students find out where they are headed post graduation to enter the next stage of their medical training... residency. In most educational venues, you complete school, interview, hopefully get job offers and then choose which job you feel is best suited for you. Medical school is a bit different. Durning the 4th year of medical school, each student travels wherever they may be willing to go for residency. They then rank the programs from favorite to least favorite and submit their list knowing they could end up at any of those programs. The programs then do the same thing with their applicants and on Match Day and computer unscrambles all those lists to determine where each medical student in the whole country will go for residency. All of Kip's medical school class and their loved ones gathered in the auditorium and one by one each student went on stage, opened an envelope and read their results. I thought I was prepared and ready to go wherever the match took us. Kip opened his envelope and announced "I'll be doing residency in Louisville, KY." I immediately burst into tears... I was not as ready as I thought I was! Luckily I had a few months and a few visits to Louisville to get ready and in June 1999 (10 years ago this week) we moved to Louisville and we immediately fell in love with our new home.
Fast forward 6 years, one residency, one fellowship and two babies later and that brings us to 2005. Kip was completing fellowship and we were in our search for a "real" job! One evening he gets a call from a doctor in Baton Rouge, LA. He spoke with this doctor for sometime and after he got off the phone and informed me that there was a job opportunity in Baton Rouge that sounded very interesting and this doctor wanted him to come interview. I responded by telling him that he was more than welcome to interview but my life plans did NOT include a move to Baton Rouge, LA. Again, lucky for me I had 3 months and two visits to Baton Rouge to except the fact that yes indeed my life plan did include a move to Baton Rouge, LA. So in June 2005 (4 years ago this week) my family moved from Louisville, KY to Baton Rouge, LA. Although I was excited for Kip to finally get to do what he'd trained so long for and was so passionate about, I was absolutely devestated to be leaving all the dear friends that had deepened my roots and allowed me to bloom so beautifully in Louisville...
Fast forward 4 years and three hurricanes later and here we are today. Each day my roots here get deeper and deeper and my blooms more plentiful. As I think of my neighborhood, my kids' school, our church, the dear friends we've made here I can't help but smile and know that this is now home. As I reflect on what the future holds for our family, I can't help but wonder if our future memories will be made in this neighborhood... I also can't help but remind myself that as I reflect on the past 20 years, it has not been my plans at all that my life has followed. God has a plan for my family and He knows long before I will what it will be! The Bible study I'm doing right now says we shouldn't worry about the what ifs of tomorrow but rest in the what is of today... so for now I shall enjoy the what is of life today and depend on God to take care of the what is that will be tomorrow (and look forward to catching up with friends from the what was of high school)! For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
