Alone...but not lonely (mostly anyway)

i would name this past season as one of being alone.
i'm not even sure what i'd name as the parameters of this season...maybe since i got back from the States this fall - so since the end of October? maybe longer than that...it's hard to say.

i've been alone a lot.
i lived alone for awhile.
i spent a lot of nights alone in the living room through out december (i have to say i was dreading it...i was dreading living alone during december...but it wasn't bad...)
it's been a season of intentionally engaging other friendships - seeking out friends to have lunch and dinner with (Dan and Mai Lander have been my rocks during this season...knowing i could call and drop in at anytime...and that i could cancel plans at the last minute too, if i needed to)

mostly, i'd say this season has been one of being alone, but not being lonely (surprising...and nice).

but there have been moments of being lonely. there have been moments of being overwhelmed. there have been moments where i have just longed for familiar. i have longed for the relationships that used to fill this flat. i've longed for friends to just sit in the living room with. i've longed to have people who know me, and understand me, and understand what i'm in the middle of when i get home at night. I've longed for the presence of my community.

and now...this season is coming to an end.

the friendship birgade is riding back into town.

i picked up Kyle from the airport on Friday (he's here til the end of March to help with our building renovation)

on Tuesday i get to go pick up Beth (oh joy...oh joy...i cannot wait)

and on Saturday I get to pick up Sarah (ahhhh...yes)

it's been so good having kyle back in town...just having his presence, that old, familiar presence in the living room...and interesting too...i think i didn't realize how alone i was, how deeply i missed the presence of my community until it started to trickle back into town (or maybe it's also that i didn't allow myself to feel it or acknowledge it until the end was in sight...otherwise it would have been too hard to get through!)

....and now...the prospect of sitting in that living room with Beth, of conversations in the kitchen...well, it's almost enough to make my heart explode with joy.

it's the end of a season...and this one, while it has been good, and i know the Lord was at work in the midst of it...i'm happy to see it end.