I'm not sure that I can ever explain the whole love-hate relationship I have with Baxley. I absolutely love living on the family farm in the country, and I love being near my family again. No more two hour drives just to visit. I'm less than 5 minutes from all of my immediate family! However, moving from Valdosta, a "metropolitan" college town, to Baxley, a town with five stop lights, was a complete culture shock. I think the hardest thing has been embracing the slower pace of life. When I lived in Valdosta, I was constantly stimulated. A very, very good/bad thing for my ADD. Haha! I was either A) teaching and/or planning lessons and activities, B) going to grad school and/or working on assignments, C) participating in various church activities, D) hanging out with friends, or E) shopping at Target. : ) I was constantly on the go. And that lifestyle suited me well. Enter Baxley. As mentioned before, five stop lights. Five. Go ahead and imagine the opportunities that await me here. Go ahead. Laugh. I give you permission. Ha! Sometimes I feel like I have absolutely nothing to do here. And when I say that, I don't mean to make light of the life and friendships I've created here. It's just different from my life in Valdosta. For crying out loud, I'm 27, and I'm living with my parents. Thankyouverymuch. (I'm not even touching this part of the story... I'll save my regression to from independence to dependence for another post.)
I have re-joined the church I grew up in, and the Lord's provided me some awesome ways to serve and minister there. I'm helping out with the youth group and Awana. I sing in the choir. I'm on the "social committee." Haha! I'm also working. (Another long story... it's hard to explain that I feel like I'm not working when in all actuality I am. I'm just not doing what I hoped to be doing. In light of current economic constraints and budget cuts in education, I've not been able to find a "real" teaching job. I'm actually subbing again this year. Not ideal, but a blessing nonetheless.) I'm hanging out sporadically with some friends. My sister and I are closer than ever, and I'm loving that. I have friends from high school that I see sometimes, and I have friends from church that I hang out with. It's just different. I feel like I don't have that connection that I had with several of my friends in Valdosta. Most of my friends here are married with families, and I'm in a completely different place in my life. (This is yet another long story for another time. Geesh!) It's just been a hard adjustment.
Sometimes I feel like God hasn't give me the blessings that I thought I would have by now - a successful career, a family of my own, etc. (And, YES, I realize how selfish that sounds... just hang on...)
Enter Plan B.
Photo from Books-a-Million.
You can buy the book here.
Over the summer I saw this book floating around on several blogs I follow... and then my BFF Nicole started reading it. I mean, just listen to the full title - Plan B: What Do You Do When God Doesn't Show Up The Way You Thought He Would? I mean come on, welcome to my thought process these past few months!!! Inspired and intrigued, I did some research on the book, and BAM! God hit me with an intense yearning to read it. So, a few weeks ago I bought it. If you've ever sat beside me in class, church, etc, you know my need to take notes, doodle, etc. It's totally a coping mechanism for my ADD. When I read a book or listen to a sermon that I really need/want to understand or apply to my life, I have to either A) take notes, B) write in the book, or C) doodle as I'm listening. I really, really, really need to "process" important things. That's how I do it.
Sooooo.... with that in mind, I've been "marking up" this book as I read it. I'm only through the third chapter, which is highly unusual for me. I'm a super-fast reader... I can read an entire book in one sitting and usually under three hours! I'm forcing myself to slow down and truly soak up the truths presented in this book. The author, Pastor Pete Wilson, uses real examples of hurt and disappointment coupled with stories from the Bible to show how God does indeed move in the midst of our trials and heartbreak. His ultimate goal is not to take control of our lives but to have us give Him control of our lives.
Good stuff, I tell you... good stuff. My plan right now is to read a few chapters, synthesize the information, and then write about it on here. Writing about what I read is yet another way to help things "sink in" with me. I'm truly excited about how the Lord's shaping me in the midst of my Plan B, and I can't wait to share it !!! I'm telling you the absolute truth... He's speaking to me in ways I've never experienced and showing me things about myself that I'd never realized. Hard, good times... Stay tuned for more on Plan B!!!
On a lighter note, today was the 105th Homecoming at my church, Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. It was a great Sunday in my Father's house! A wonderful service and tons of great food! (I most likely consumed triple my daily caloric needs! Haha!)
A little tidbit of information about my family and MVBC... even though my parents, my sister, and I are the only Davises who attend MVBC and didn't become members until I was in elementary school, my great-great grandfather was the first preacher there. Pretty neat, huh?
On another note... I am currently obsessed with CrossPointe Church's new worship CD - Love is Taking Over. I've had my iPod on repeat today, and I bet I've listened to it ten times at least! : ) CrossPointe was my church in Valdosta... what an awesome place to worship and serve!
You can buy this awesome CD on iTunes here.
There's one thing I know for sure... love IS taking over. And I'm glad He's taking over me!
