For all of my married life, I've lived on Main Street. Early in our marriage, we lived in a house my Mother in law owned in a small town with a bar, a post office, and a general store. We lived on Main Street. My husband had to drive about 60 miles to work each day. When I was pregnant with my daughter, we only had one car, and I drove him to work sometimes so that I could use the car to go to Doctor appointments. In one year, we put 100,000 miles on a brand new car.
I started selling Real Estate, and we decided that we should move closer to his work, and my office. So, we bought our first house in a small town about 30 miles closer to hubby's place of work, in the town where I sold Real Estate. We fell in love with a cute little house on Main Street.
However, growing up, I lived in the country.
They say "you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl". I'm starting to believe that's true. Oh, I was happy with my cute little house on Main Street for a while, but for the last several years, when we go to the county fair, I get that longing to live in the country. I adore the cute little bunnies, and the cows and horses and pigs.
I love the smell of hay, and the fresh air in the country.
To me, these were flowers... not weeds.
A little creek like this is where I began writing
It isn't just the Fair that causes such discontentment though. Usually when we go to the lake, any lake, but especially Lake Michigan, I wish I lived there. Camping and reading books about the Amish make me long for a more simple life as well. Visiting my cousin in OK, staying at her farm house, and then the ranch really stirred the dream.
Why such discontent, why the longing in my soul? I wish that I was a more content person. But this is who I am. I'm a dreamer, and to me, nature is beauty. It refreshes me! I treasure the memories that I have, and want to recreate them. I often want things to be different, slower paced, have less clutter in my life, more meaningful family time, and for my kids to have the experiences that I had growing up in the country.
I think that things would be different, my children would be different, and I would be different. Better somehow. Call me an Idealist! I am. :)
There are benefits to living in town. Convenience for one! That's why we've stayed where we are. We live in a great community, with a great church, and it's been a great place to raise our children. Will we stay here forever? Who knows? We have dreams of moving to Ludington, or just somewhere out in the country. If we do, then will it feel like home when our children come and visit? (there's that memories thing again)
For now, I'll be content in the season I am in, where God has put me. When discontentment rears its ugly head, and it will, I'll try to remember that.
1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain."
Meanwhile, enjoy the pictures I've taken recently on my drive in the countryside of my little town.
Blessings!
