Awkward Beginnings

It is our last night in North Carolina. In a hectic season, this trip has been surprisingly refreshing. For this, I am beyond grateful. Maybe it is the clear blue sky or crisp fallen leaves, but I am leaving this place feeling better than when I came.

A few nights ago we stayed at our friend’s house, sitting on a mountainside along the blue-ridge parkway. With the morning sunlight it almost feels like you’re in a treehouse. We met Kelly and Sargon during our dating days in North Iraq.

During our stay they invited a few friends over and we had a wonderful and relaxed evening. That night, after everyone had fallen asleep, I lay awake with this deep gratitude in my heart. I bet you that God smiles when he orchestrates a meeting such as this. I wonder if in those initial moments when a friendship is made, or in those awkward beginnings of a new acquaintance, that God is filled with a giddy delight knowing the pathways that our lives will take.

I could not have known six years ago that someday our sweet friends would be married and that our kids would meet. That they would share the most amazing cupcakes with us and take us on a beautiful hike in North Carolina – and that we would leave their house renewed and with a strengthened friendship.

In days like these I am grateful that God doesn’t reveal the whole plot. That we can’t see so far ahead to know the people that will mark our lives. That we get to participate in the fun of discovering new ties and the thrill of genuine connections. It is a giddy delight.

So tomorrow morning, when we wake up at 3 AM for our return flight home – it is with a fresh mind and happy heart. I am beyond grateful for the time we shared with friends here. For the walk around an idyllic lake while my friend shared her wisdom on book writing, for the catch-up chats at coffee shops and parks, and deep sense of community that has filled my heart over this last week. I needed that. Especially in this season of transition with new friendships forming and those awkward beginnings on the horizon once more.