I truly love living here in France. I did not expect to love it as I do, especially 10 months ago when I was in the throws of culture stress. I haven’t quite escaped culture stress, it lingers and daily reminds me this is not my home, but I do feel much more comfortable now when I leave my home to run errands or take my kids to the park. I love the way french rolls off a native speaker’s tongue (not mine quite yet, ha!). It’s melodic and graceful and so pretty. I love the fresh baguettes and pastries, I love seeing the endless varieties of cheeses, wines, and speciality shops. I love the markets that pop up all over the city (one just outside our apartment 6 days a week where we live currently). I love the farmers who come to sell their fresh vegetables and fruits, who have their loyal customers who stop by each day or each week to talk about the weather or politics or some other interesting topic. I love the way the french often act distracted and unaware when their dog poops on the sidewalk, as if denying it’s happening permits them to walk away and leave it for someone else to step on or clean up. It truly is comical. I love the old french baroque style of the buildings. Walking through the city never gets old to me. I love the rivers. I love the “pleins” trees that line the streets in their proper fashion, Isaac declares as we drive along through them “they are raising their branches, praising God.”
I do love living in Lyon, for many reasons such as these, and I will miss it greatly, but I will always be thankful that the Lord brought us here for this season. It has been a rather trying year, but an extremely good one all at the same time. When we arrived we knew just a few french words, we struggled to find our way around a grocery store, we could not begin to communicate what we wanted or needed to anyone who did not speak English, we felt alone and isolated many ways, we were unsure what our future held but remained steadfast in our desire to trust and obey. We were often frazzled and felt depleted most days. Our kids felt it too. But little by little, we pushed on, we looked for the joy in all things, we prayed in all circumstances, and God’s grace and goodness sustained us abundantly. My mom was a tremendous help too, a constant comfort to us all as she came to serve and give of her time to help our adjustment and learning in this new place. God has brought us through this year, we embraced all it had to teach us and show us, and we are grateful to be standing on the other side of some of those harder days, but also fully aware we are not exempt from more in the days to come.
As I ran along the river this morning listening to some great music and getting ready to climb a big hill’s worth of stairs, a song started to play that has been a big song for Nathan and I since we left the States. It’s called “Nothing I Hold Onto” by the United Pursuit Band and Will Reagan. It’s so simple, but it remains the song of my heart.
I lean not on my own understanding,
My life is in the hands of the maker of heaven
I Give it all to you God,
Trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me
I will climb this mountain
With my hands wide open
I will climb this mountain
With my hands wide open
There is nothing I hold on to
There is nothing I hold on to
There is nothing I hold on to
There is nothing I hold on to
All Glory To God, Forever. Amen
We will keep climbing the mountain, with our hands wide open, giving it all to God, trusting that He will make something beautiful out of what we give and who we are, we will strive to hold onto nothing. Climb it with us, dear friends and prayer partners. Climb with us, let us fall on our knees together, yet putting on the full armor of God daily, taking our stand to our last breath! May God be glorified among the nations! May He be a God of this city, your city, and those cities who so desperately need Him! May the chains be broken and hearts be set free to worship Him and live in Him!
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