Nebraska trip (July 16-18)
We stayed in Kearney, "the Sandhill Crane capital of the world," at what I'm told is the finest place in town, EconoLodge. My son simply referred to it as "the Lodge." He was excited, even taking photos of all the rooms (all two). He especially liked the bathtub, since he doesn't have one at home. He also liked the blueberry muffins for breakfast. But we did more than lounge around the hotel room and take naps.
We also visited places in town, namely the many parks. My son didn't feel well for most of our trip, but we managed to see some sights. We left in a driving rain, but the sun soon came out and left a rainbow before us.
But all was not rainbows and blueberry muffins. On Saturday, I received a message from my friend Cindy (who was out of town) that her dad died a short time earlier. I instantly started crying. Only minutes before, I was walking around a leafy neighborhood and praying for all of us, including her family. I even saw a man entering a restaurant, which made me think of her father for some reason. All this before I knew and all around the time he passed away. I spent the rest of the day in prayer for her family and continue to pray for them daily. I don't understand the grief of losing someone close to me. I pray God binds up those wounds as soon as possible but also brings them closer to Him through the process. When it seems like there is nothing good that can come of such a horrible event, I prayed God would find a way to do just that. God knows that family has been through enough heartache. Cindy's little brother recently got out of the hospital, where he was for weeks, after a quadruple bypass heart surgery. I'm sure the weight of that still rests on them. And Cindy's divorce, which surely still hurts. Who knows what else? And then this happened. I can't even imagine how to deal with that kind of grief. I guess that's why people turn to God in times like that. Human help doesn't go far at all. So, please pray for them if God puts it on your heart.
Before I went to Kearney, God made a way for me to see someone about a job. I didn't make it. I didn't want to miss my appointment (there was ridiculous traffic and construction and my son was seemingly getting sicker by the moment), so I rescheduled. I also talked to another man about a job, too. (These aren't the greatest jobs, but the pay is good and will allow me to settle a bit and more easily find a better job.) I didn't see him, either. It was more important to make sure 1) my son was okay and 2) we fulfilled the original purpose of the trip, which was to see if the town fits our needs and wants. All three of us would be moving there, after all, so all three needed to see the town. It would be a hard thing for me to say, "Hey, we're moving," without them having even seen the town. Mission accomplished. We even stopped at the library, where I read my son a book on a beanbag chair in the sunshine. For the sake of contrast, the children's section of that library is bigger than the entirety of my current town's library. Oh, and gas was considerably cheaper there (lowest I saw was $2.67) than here (about $3.30 right now), though often the pumps were out of order. Overall, it seems a livable and peaceful community.
It looks as though what I asked (namely that God would open a door if He would bless us moving) came to pass. I have a job offer and an offer to find out more, if interested. How to proceed from here and the details and timing are yet to be determined. I made considerable concessions concerning the move and adjustment period, which were concerns for me, but now I see the wisdom of which and probably God's hand in it. My first priority is my son and making sure he is settling in well and adjusting healthily. The arrangements I made will likely guarantee that, though it means putting my life on hold (poor Joshua). I don't know what else to say about that. Most likely, whatever job I start out with will be temporary, though I will give it my full effort. What concerns me most are the hours of any job and how much I'm able to be in my son's life. Like I said, first priority.
It's clear Kearney has a lot to offer for a kid my son's age. I think he'll be able to have consistent time with friends, too. Maybe it's all hoping and wishing, but humans seem to have an endless capacity for hoping and wishing. I just want to settle down, put down some roots, and raise my kid in a good environment. I think a lot of places could fulfill that. Without getting into all the reasons for making this move and to this particular place, it seems the overriding reason is I just got stuck on the idea a few years ago. It is a compelling place to live. Not too big and not too small. A lot of the amenities of a larger town in a small package. It's hard to describe. I know the schools are better in Nebraska, too. But, I don't want to go anywhere unless God will bless it. That's all I care about. (For the record, I didn't pray about a specific outcome, only that God would open a door if He would bless it.) All of this is subject to change, as I am in constant prayer.
Regular readers of this blog may already know Kearney as the place where Cindy lives. I've already said much about us and don't want to add more to create even more confusion. She is a wonderful human being I would like to see more of, but it is impossible to say if that is possible right now. I'm open to God's leading and only want what He will bless. I won't add anything to this particular thread.
The trip was a success, as we all decided it would be a fine town to live in. On the way back, we stopped at Carhenge (a play on Stonehenge, obviously). The photo above is of that. I've only been there one other time and recall feeling strange. So, this was probably my last time visiting that strange site. My son had fun, however. It was a good pit stop.
Before I leave, I urge anyone reading to pray for Cindy and her family if you have the inclination. The loss of their patriarch is surely impossible to deal with right now. Pray for peace and peace that passes all understanding, for swift healing, and for a closer walk with God as a result. And whatever God puts on your heart. They surely appreciate your prayers right now.
Thank you for reading, and God bless.
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