different

One good thing about being in a new place is the opportunity for learning flexibility. For lack of a better thing to write, I'm providing you a list of differences we've found in Texas:

• Having neighbors. This apartment complex is satisfactory, but apartment living in a city is somewhat different from living on a farm. We share walls with neighbors to our west and south. The south neighbors must be gone or very quiet. But we danced to the west neighbor's music at suppertime tonight, then sang a rock 'n' roll version of "1, 2, 3, Jesus Loves Me" to their beat. They must've really loved that song, because it repeated several times.


• Fireants. These cute little critters build HUGE mounds. Their bites burn and sting. Carly still has two bumps on her big toe from getting bit two weeks ago. We do not currently have any bait to get rid of these ants by our front porch, so I have been temporarily conquering them with bleach and vinegar.


• Unknown by all (well, almost all). One advantage of grocery shopping in a big city is the fact that no one knows you. You can go out in public and be unknown. I have fixed my hair maybe three times in the past three weeks. And no one notices. Yesterday, I took the kids to Wal-Mart, wearing ratty clothes, greasy hair, and a ball cap. I thought to myself, Should I look more presentable? I quickly answered myself, No one will know me anyway. We know, like, 10 people in San Angelo. There's not a chance we'll meet someone we know. We were greeted in the checkout line by a Mesquite Ridge Church elder's family!! It was good to see them, but how it would've been nice to be presentable. ;)


• Wal-Mart....is practically in our backyard. Nice!


• Laundromat. We didn't bring our washer and dryer. I now understand why High Rise tenants stuff as much laundry as they can into each load. Except washing loads here are $1.00 each, not $.50.


• Temperature and humidity. It may be hot here, but laundry hanging outside sure dries fast. I wonder if San Angelo's 95 at 36% humidity right now feels better than Sabetha's 83 at 72% humidity. Somehow, I doubt it, but the lower humidity is good.


• Drinking water. The tap water here is not good. We've been buying jugs of water and refilling them at Wal-Mart. When I'm carrying a strong, canvas bag filled with 3 gallons of water, I think about those poor women years ago who had to lug jugs on their heads because they didn't have any running water at all. We've got it good, really.

The best thing about a different place with unfamiliar surroundings is the ever-present fact that God is constant. He is forever with us. That VBS song rings loud in my head: "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD.your God.will.be.with.you.wherever you go" (Joshua 1:9) (periods added where you're supposed to point your finger in the air). ;)

A favorite picture of mine that doesn't have anything to do with anything I wrote here. :)