“I will never live in NY! It’s dirty, there are no trees and it’s just too busy!”
I’m from the Eastern Shore of MD. I enjoy crabbing and fishing. I love to garden, and I love the water. These hobbies not only make up the background of my childhood, but they allow me to debrief and meditate on God’s goodness. How in the world was I going to be able to be my complete self in a world without green spaces and tranquil places?
When my husband and I were considering future places to live, I was not willing to compromise on his hometown. He is originally from Brooklyn and is like a fish to water when there. We were visiting some friends about 3 years ago. They were all trying to convince me why Brooklyn would be a great place to live. In order to appease them, I said, “Yes. I would live in Brooklyn. IF, I can be a stay-at-home mom, live near Prospect Park, and do ‘bourgeois’ stay-at-home mom things with Charisma (one of the friends trying to convince me to live there)”. I was convinced that this would never happen because 1)New York is too expensive for us to live there. How was I going to be a stay-at-home mom? 2) I really didn’t have that close of a relationship with Charisma at the time and didn’t expect it to go anywhere. Why would we be hanging out doing bourgeois mom stuff all of a sudden? and 3)If we could afford to live in NY, it wouldn’t be near Prospect Park because that would be even more expensive. I’m realizing now how selfish it was for me to set up these parameters knowing how vital Brooklyn is to my husband’s ministry and sense of purpose. I may not have understood it then, but setting up these “impossible” parameters was not going to get in the way of God’s plan!
Fast forward to Spring 2015. My husband graduated seminary and accepted a job as a NYC Teaching Fellow. We constantly prayed that God would open doors and make it possible for us to live comfortably and that I could stay at home with our son (to be born early June).
Well God opened doors. He also opened people’s hearts.
Charisma knew of someone who needed a tenant. It was an affordable place and was just a ten minute walk to Prospect Park. Parameter one and three had been met.
Charisma and I bonded over the past year because we wanted to be mothers. My husband, Charisma, her husband, and I started a weekly prayer call to pray for our unborn children; their conception, healthy pregnancies, and healthy babies. Our babies were born one week apart. We have hung out with our babies numerous times since their births. She has been an awesome friend and ambassador to the city. Parameter two had been met.
Friends and Family continued to pour out and bless us. We have not wanted for anything since moving here in June. The part of Brooklyn we live in is not that bad. Prospect Park is my green space. There is even a lake there where I can sit and admire God’s goodness in His creation. I may not be able to garden in my own back yard, but there is a 24 hr fruit stand and a community garden within walking distance. This may not be my hometown, but God has placed so many things here to help me feel at home. At the same time, the many different things will allow me to grow.
This lesson has taught me that I cannot change God’s plan. If something is supposed to happen, it will happen for His glory. I praise Him for knowing what’s best for me better than I ever could.
Crown Fruit 