Changes

There have been a lot of changes in our little community in the last year.

I use to write about all the beautiful children and our little group meetings, our Bible study, our meals together. I miss that, not just writing about it but living it.

Some families have moved, some are still here but not socializing anymore, some have been removed. I'll just say, it's been changes that weren't all welcome ones.

There were and still are some issues of devastating proportions. By that I mean "life changing situations".

One of our sweetest neighbors L has gone to the hospital with pneumonia and is in serious condition, R was involved in a life changing experience not of his own design, now J is in a situation that will change his life too. R&M are now having marital problems, S and J have been taken away from their home and placed into foster care, The two brothers have suffered a set back with one of them having heart surgery. M lost his wife a year ago to a sudden death and fell into a depression that leaves him still under treatment and struggling through each and every day.

I have faltered with the load of what feels like a burden that should feel like a blessing and now with the burden of our economy the owners of this property (landlords to us renters) are close to a decision that may mean they are giving up and selling this property. The city has raised their land taxes $10,000 a year and now is enforcing a new program where which each land owner must pay for the service of the fire department (as if taxes weren't for that). That will be an additional $4,880. a year for this piece of property. An offer has been made to them that they are seriously considering which, would leave each of us to find new places to live.

Oh there's a lot more stuff but these are the major issues. These things can change your life. It feels heavy and burdensome but I realized very recently that maybe they aren't burdens. God knows all doesn't he and just maybe all these lives need changing. Maybe this is the best way to get through to this diverse little community and make those changes happen. Maybe we didn't listen too. I believe God always offers us a simpler plan and then when we don't listen He brings out the big guns!

I really love my community and we for the most part, are good to each other but maybe we have stagnated. Maybe we haven't moved forward, again, maybe we didn't listen. And then sometimes "Life just Happens" doesn't it.

Diversity, free will, God's plan, burden's, blessing's, economy, family, politics, marriage, divorce, phew! - it's too much to keep up with for us and too much for me to figure out soooo! I think I'll just let God have it all and simply "listen" for a while.

I feel better already.