Hello friends! It’s been awhile and I’m feeling chatty!
We are 4 months deep into a new life in a new city and are only now feeling settled and semi-familiar with our surroundings, but we are loving it here! It’s been so long since we updated and I thought I’d take some time and let you guys know what exactly we’re doing in Portland. For those of you who really have nothing better to do or are one of those individuals who love us so much that you’ll read anything we write (Hi Mom).
Dallas began his residency program with Legacy Health immediately after we moved and has been working ever since. From the stories he tells, it’s a mission field all on its own. The people he works with in the Psychiatric department are unstable and unpredictable but at the end of the day, are people who need Jesus desperately. If you know him at all, you know that he has a way of making you feel safe when you’re with him. So despite his arguments, I think he is right where Jesus wants him, doing exactly what Jesus called him to.
So that’s what Dallas does. What do I do?! Well, for the first few months I walked dogs, baked bread, crocheted and job hunted. We’ve had several visitors (Desi, my Mom and Dallas’ Mom and Grandma) which I used as an excuse to delay my inevitable return to the working class, but eventually our bills beckoned me to search harder. Here is where I struggled the most since our move.
I have a Criminal Justice degree and have been passionate about using that since I first declared it. But without law enforcement training, more school or a willingness to relocate I’m pretty much at the mercy of availability. Here was where I pleaded with Jesus to just show me what on earth I’m on this earth for. Wasn’t it to fight human trafficking? Wasn’t it to pursue justice for those who can’t defend themselves? Questions on questions on questions. I remember staying up crying to Dallas that I had all these big plans for saving the world but Jesus wasn’t letting me use them. And it was in those late night cry-fests that I realize that this ENTIRE time I’ve been going about my career with the wrong motives. I wanted to save the world. I wanted to rescue babies. I, I, I. And following Jesus is about denying ourselves and declaring Him as King over everything, even our wildest dreams. So I let go.
Without my obsessive need to prove myself worthy or my obsessive mission to save the planet blocking my view, I saw very clearly that I could be used wherever Jesus planted me. People are hurting in every corner of the world. In your coffee shop. In your office. In your apartment complex. In your grocery store. I vowed to love on THOSE people, for this is where we are now. I hope to one day go into the far reaches of the world and hold hurting babies and love on people that don’t know Jesus, but for right now we’re in Portland, Oregon. And I am finally at peace with that. I am called to THESE people. Here. Now.
That was a really long rant just to tell you that I am not working in a law office or as a victim’s advocate, but rather as a housekeeper at a local hotel/pub/brewery/theatre (which sounds rather bizarre. But it’s really neat. McMenamins Kennedy School; look it up!) My pride has gotten in the way a few times, because housekeeping is not what I should be doing with my life, right? I should be more productive, more grown up, more…something. But no, friends. Jesus slaps down my pride every time I go into work and get to love on my coworkers and listen to their stories. They are beautiful souls and I am blessed.
So that’s what we’re up to, folks! We’ve got a Jesus-blessed schedule, where we both work til 3ish and then have the whole evening to be with each other. We read, we run, we take our puppies to the park and occasionally eat cupcakes or doughnuts (that happens a lot, actually, let’s be honest). After so much debate about “Why Portland?”, we finally have come to the conclusion that it doesn’t really matter. Regardless of whatever intricate plans Jesus is weaving for our time here, we have grown closer to Him and to each other in this phase of life and are at peace.
That is not to say that we don’t miss Georgia, so don’t worry you’re pretty little heads about that. We miss it and can’t wait to see it again, but just wanted you all to know that we’re flourishing here. 🙂
finding aslan 