It’s been a lot of work, but after a very long last few days we are finally moved into our new apartment. We still have a few finishing touches to do to make it feel like home, but so far it’s looking good! Well, as good as it can get anyway.
The reason I say that is that this apartment is a bit, well… shabby, for lack of a better term. At least compared to our last place, I think we can honestly say that we’ve downgraded a bit. For starters, when we moved in it wasn’t quite clean and there were multiple issues we noticed right away that need to be fixed. Over the last few days, we’ve noticed more and more things that are broken, badly repaired, and just plain ugly. The cabinets in the kitchen are warped and messily painted over. There is a gap under our front door, which lets out cold air and lets in bugs. The bathroom sinks are stained and splattered with paint. The appliances are very old and worn. Overall, it’s turned out to be quite different from the model apartment that we were shown when we decided to live here.
Despite the disappointments that we’ve found in the quality of our new apartment, though, we actually really like it. Even better than that, I’ve learned to be less picky and more humble through this experience. I mean, sure, I would love to live in a home where things are all shiny, clean, and new. But really, dealing with imperfections in our home is not the worst thing in the world. Even with all of the things we don’t like, there are still many things that we do like and so many things to be grateful for.
Making the adjustment was really hard for me at first, though. I felt stressed, regretful, uncomfortable, and disappointed when I first saw the apartment. I felt that we’d made a big mistake moving here, and that we were going to be terribly uncomfortable for the next year. But then I had an interesting thought; this move wasn’t actually for my comfort. We moved because we wanted to save money and because, more importantly, we felt God calling us out here. Nowhere in that equation does my comfort take priority, and honestly, that’s the way it should be. My life’s purpose is not to be comfortable—at least, I don’t want it to be! Not when God can offer such an infinitely more meaningful purpose to live for.
When I started to think about what God might have in mind for us out here, I stopped stressing out over the stupid little problems in our apartment. Once that happened, I started to see things that I really like about it! For example, the carpets and floors are all brand new and really nice-looking, the paint is an attractive, neutral, modern color, and the countertops are nicely refinished. Plus, we have a little bit more space than we did in our last place. The outside of the complex is also pretty, and we really like the surrounding area. But more important than all of that is the mere fact that we have a place to live that is safe and comfortable. We have so much to be grateful for in our living situation, and I have no right to complain.
One of the most exciting parts of this move for me was that we got to bring our dog with us. In our last apartment, we were unable to have our dog live with us due to the complex’s pet restrictions. Having him here with us is so great, and I feel like we are finally a complete family. All of our pets are getting along really well, which is pretty amazing considering that we have a dog, cat, bird, and mouse all in the same home!
I am also very excited about starting school tomorrow and settling into my new schedule here. In a few weeks, we will also be searching for a good church family to join and then later, ways for us to serve in church and a Bible study group to join. There is so much ahead to be excited for, and I’m looking forward to all of it!