̶L̶u̶c̶k̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶m̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶c̶h̶o̶s̶e̶n̶.̶ ̶
̶P̶r̶a̶i̶s̶e̶ ̶G̶o̶d̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶i̶n̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶c̶h̶o̶s̶e̶n̶.̶
Praise God, I am chosen.
There's plenty of different reasons why we chose to move. So you move. You move in. You get the furniture. Welcome to the neighborhood, but uh... who are you again?
Before I get into this, I want to preface this text with something. I have never sat well with people saying, "I know who I am," for some reason. Is it me being insecure with self? Or am I just curious? How could they have met each part of who they are already? From what I dealt with in life, I have developed that God is also the God of slow and steady as much as He is acceleration.
As you probably read in part one, I felt like I was going back and forth with God to secure a living space for myself. At the same time, it was also a period of getting to know who I am in God and I would be remiss if I didn't tell you that I am still learning. Maybe that is the difference I was trying to realize in the above paragraph: People know themselves carnally.
There's levels to this spiritual thing and no many how many power ups you think you've got, you only unlock those levels if God wants you up there. Everyone has a part and a role, specific in-game fits if you will, and no matter how many coins, you're not getting the coat of many colors unless it's assigned to you.
Finding who you are in a space. In part two, I discussed the work involved in finding furniture. It was less about going out and seeking, or searching, for the appropriate pieces. It was more off a test of patience not to splurge on something that I found really cute. All in all lists became a great friend. And we're still besties.
Coming to a new city can be so weird for its own reasons. Like you have friends, but they don't feel like friends or you have places to go and they don't quite feel like the places you've been and you're asking yourself: do I really have to call this place home?
Attending worship was one of the first and best ways I got acquainted with other people from campus, but also the older folk in the area including parents, grandparents, and other neighbors. Other ways that I started to get acquainted with the area was volunteering regularly, whether by myself or with friends, and starting to attend dance practice within a club on campus. I've said it before in so many other posts: How to Graduate, How to Make Friends , and First Year Grad School Reflection. I'll sum up forming community again in a few words.
Finding community and forming it are two different things. I said to form community because you cannot always depend on particular structures to exist; you cannot depend on a certain group of peoples that you have an affinity towards to always be there. You cannot wait for people to come to you. You must set the tone, the pace, and temperature.
What do you expect? What do you need? How do you like to be there for others? (But maybe start with addressing what you like to do and see if anyone can meet you there first lol)
During this time, God was pointing out people I couldn't and shouldn't attach myself to, whether it was things that they said that shouldn't feel so hurtful yet did, or things that were done that I felt, also, shouldn't feel hurtful and it hurt. Over and over again, it was happening. Over and over again, I had to ask myself who I was at that time and ask who they were. I've said it before: when you know better, you do better. However, I knew better to make this all about the people. I had to consider the Spirit. After all, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities (Eph. 6:12). So what now? What is this portion of moving in or moving back in or returning to a place that I am discussing? Moving different.
Although we like to limit moving to a physical process, it is a mental-emotional-social change to our being and bodies. Anyways, thank you for reading to here, to part three. When we choose to move, there is also this calling that arises to move different. Will you act as if you know better? When you know better, you move better; and when you move better, you set hell on notice. You see, I've already been through part one and two. My grip different; my steadfastness different; I can hold on longer; I can hold out longer. I can wait.
I can move--be it mountains or living spaces. I can move.
All the Best,
CLG (Clarreese La'Nay Greene)
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