New Beginnings

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us. To Hime be the glory. Amen (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Happy August, faithful readers! It feels great to be writing again. There's something about the weather being cooler that sparks motivation and ideas to write.

This summer involved a lot of trips and wrestling with God in between-- which led to a lot of quiet reflection time. Those thoughts will surface soon enough, but for now, I have exciting news.

In one month from today I will be moving :)

Since starting college back in 2016, I never lived in a place more than a year. The dorms, to a college house, to another college house, to an apartment, to a house, to another apartment, to the house I'm in now.

For a person who appreciates stability and consistency, the last 9 years have stretched my flexibility muscle and taught me how to live minimally and simply. When I moved into this house, I had no idea how long I would stay.

My roommate, who owns the house, had just started dating her boyfriend so I knew I had probably at least a year and a half. In January of this year, we both thought I was the one who would stay in the house for at least another year, but because of her (now) fiancé's job, all the boxes we thought we were collecting for them ended up being for me! (I laugh at the thought that God knew all along)

After almost three and half years, I'll pack up my room to start the next chapter God has for me. Now, three and a half years is not very long, unless you're used to moving every 9 to 12 months. I was recently sitting in my favorite nook of my room, next to my bookshelf, with a cup of coffee, thinking about all the times I changed this room around to cope with the shocking amount of life that happened in that room.

I was 24 when I moved in, and I will have just turned 28 when I move out. Sometimes I think about 24 year old Hannah and admire her strength and hope. I can see how she was (at the time) an under-developed version of who I am at almost 28, and whenever I doubt that growth God has done in my life, I go back and read her journal entries.

In between 24 and 28...

• I started a new job

• Got a new car

• Fulfilled my dream of being featured on a well-known blog platform

• Started and finished graduate school

• Wrote a book

• Went on an international podcast to talk about it

• Lost many friends

• Gained one back

• Lost my church and went through the darkest season of my life

• Regained my church

• God delivered me from my 10 year long eating disorder

• Completely left social media (if you're on the fence about it, do it.)

• Said goodbye to my last living grandparent

• Walked a family member through a hard illness

• Traveled to 2 new states and left the country for the first time

• Saw my sister graduate college

• Saw my sister move to New York City

• Met Joni Eareckson Tada (my childhood hero)

• Met Thomas Howell (Ponyboy from 'The Outsider' -- if you know, you know)

• Watched (and stood up in) friends get married, engaged, pregnant, give birth, buy houses, throw their baby's first birthday

and a small handful of more things.

It's funny how paralyzed life can feel when you're focused on how some things don't appear to change at all, but life does keep going. And it was almost emotional to realize all the life and memories God granted me while in this house; But it also made me even more excited to close the door and walk into new things.

A lot of wonderful and beautiful things happened here, but also a lot of hard, disappointing and discouraging things happened here too. But as my grandma would always say "that's life." And I don't know how anyone goes through it without a personal relationship with our Savior.

I am so ready for a new space, a new room, new routine, new walking place, new routes to church and the grocery store, new memories, and a new chapter for God to work in me in a way He knew He couldn't in the place I'm ay right now. Only God knows when we've outgrown a space, and only He knows what is best for us, and when.

If there's one take away from this, it's that God is faithful.

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. (Isaiah 43:19)

I remain confident in this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)