Wanting

This is the part where I apologize for not posting more often. Not because I think I’m so important and that you’re dying to hear about the ongoings of our lives, but more that I know how annoying it is to check blogs all the time and see the.very.same.post.
I probably don’t need to tell you that I’ve been ridiculously busy. Busier than I have ever been in my life. For real. My first 7 weeks in midwifery have made me question if I fooled someone into giving me my other degrees. My program is very challenging- both with the amount of work and the pace. I don’t think I expected the change to be so shocking. I pictured myself home a lot more than when I was working full time but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I am rarely home now-never in the day. Matt has had to pick up a lot of the slack and has been such a good partner to me. I know I have said this before but I really wouldn’t be able to be in school again if it weren’t for his full support.
We spent the weekend in Kingston-staying with our awesome friend Joel. We ate poutine twice, played some crazy beer pong, saw a Yukon Blonde show and played two days of ultimate- and managed to play through a blizzard. For real. I can’t believe I saw snow before November 1st. Winter is on it’s way. This means Christmas is coming and next semester when I have one less class and TWO full days off school a week. Weee!
Now that I’ve brought you up to speed a bit and made myself feel a bit better for my lack of posting, I’ll get on with the real reason I wanted to blog today.
Matt and I were driving home tonight and we saw some beautiful, beautiful houses. Big, gated, pot lights, three car driveways, immaculately decorated. And do you know what came to mind?

She did.

I met this beautiful woman in Mexico last summer when I was visiting my friend who lives down there. This woman, whose name I don’t even know, struck a chord in me somewhere. My friend works for an awesome ministry that builds houses for people who need them. Teams from Canada and the States come down and work really hard for a week and at the end- a family has a new home.

I love the photo above so much because when I look at it I can remember the sheer joy on her face. I can remember her tears as the team gathered around her family to ask God to bless the new home. This photo was taken as she was taking her first look at her new house. Their home.

As we drove by the million dollar homes tonight I couldn’t help but wonder how she’s doing. How the family is fairing. Wondering if the walls of their house are now filled with life, photos, kid’s drawings.

It’s so easy to be misled in this life. Perhaps more so when we live in a society that is as privileged as ours. I am so easily swayed by the actions and words of others. I easily covet, compare and consume. And it hate it. Why is it that we are always in want?

Today I want more of what this nameless woman has. Not a mansion. Not economic security. Not popularity. What I want is joy. Gratefulness. Passion.

And thankfully, it’s all free.