It's Been a Year

A year ago today we had finished putting the last bit of our stuff in storage and were eating Chipotle burritos with our dear friends on the living room floor on our last night in Lexington. Ironically, this week, I had lunch with a friend in Azabu Juban and she took me to the Japanese version of Chipotle. Y'all - it was amazing! The entire menu board was in English, free refills, and it tasted JUST LIKE HOME! Only, the name of this restaurant is Frijoles. I was thrilled to have found it and plan to go there with Kan soon on a Saturday for lunch.

It has been a year...a year since we boarded that plane and embarked on this adventure God has given us. In some ways, I feel as if we have been gone about 5 years. In other ways, I feel like it has been 3 months! At times, I do not think about living in "Tokyo." I am with my husband and kiddos and that is perfect for me. But then I hear Miyako say words like "Mt. Fuji," "Tokyo Tower," "48th floor," "yon-ju hachi kai desu (48th floor)," "mikan (orange)," or "Midtown Park at Roppongi" and I am quickly reminded that we live in Tokyo, Japan.

I had fun re-reading those first few posts about leaving. I re-lived walking through security in the Bluegrass Airport and the sigh of relief that came as I knew we were exactly where God intended us to be. However, there are days when I long for my life back "home" in the US - where I had a car and we could just decide on a whim to drive to Nashville, Charlotte or Knoxville to hang out with family and friends; where I had my gym girlfriends to work out with and to share life with; where we had a yard and I could look out my window and see green. Then I think about all of the people I have met in the past year and all of the places I have gotten to see and I think to myself "wow, God has richly blessed us." Even when it is hard, it has been a fabulous year. Our marriage is stronger than it ever has been simply because we are all each other has. We have met incredible people, who come and go through Tokyo, and now have friends all over the world to go visit one day. Miyako is learning some Japanese. We have found a wonderful church to both serve in and receive spiritual nourishment from. Life is good.

Then I have to remind myself, it all is from God. There is nothing we did to achieve this or deserve this. God simply is so faithful to His children. Even in the storms and on those really cloudy days here when I "long" for something familiar, the God of the Bible is true to His word. He is faithful. He is Sovereign. He loves us and meets us on the bad days in Tokyo and the bad days in the US. Because yes, I had bad days there too.

My thoughts are a bit jumbled today, but as I reflect on what I have learned in the last year, I am reminded that even though you can move, change homes, meet new friends, and have your life feel as if it was turned upside down at times, God is the same. We are not sure when God will take us back to the US, or where He will take us next, but when He does move us again, I am sure it will have it's ups and downs. However, HE will remain the same - the same faithful and loving God who has been with us this far - HE will continue to be with us on the next adventure.