Tuesday morning started early. Rusty and I headed over to JBAB before work to get me a visitor pass to get on base. We got done early enough that I had time to stop by the only breakfast joint that was open: IHOP.

I got some food in me and my Bible reading in before heading to work for the day!

Wednesday morning, I was walking into work and thought the building looked lovely in the morning light! Golden hour for the win!

When you enjoy working somewhere, moments like this only enhance the gratitude.

After work Wednesday, I got to hang out with Katie! We first met on the Israel trip, but she invited me over for dinner and chats for us to get to know one another! Yay for more friends!

(I forgot to get a picture, so here’s one with her from last Sunday evening)

With traveling, it is often grunt work to find and make my place within my department and communities outside of work. It involves taking initiative and often, it’s done solo.

So, to have others make space for me (even if it’s as small as a post-it note on a nook in a cabinet), it’s still meaningful.

This weekend, I had two different Christmas parties I attended, one for work and one for the NCR Navs!

The first one was the work party on Saturday evening. One of the doctors hosted it at her home and it was a fun time! The food was yummy and it was great relating with my co-workers outside of our department!

We did a Dirty Santa exchange and I walked away with…a People of Walmart adult coloring book and eraseable colored pencils. It has quite the regifting potential, don’t you think?

I snagged a picture with Ling, one of the many sonographers I know from working alongside during my previous contract.

Ling actually started her job a month after I had started my 2021 contract, so it’s been fun to see her grow in her approach to being a sonographer since last summer!

Then, Sunday was the NCR Navigators Christmas party!

The food was great, the conversations rich, the games fun, and the time well spent!

Being a couple weeks in has allowed me to have a sense for the season the Lord has me in and the best word I have right now is “sweet”.

How that translates for me is a special awareness of the truth of Matthew 11:28-30, which says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Following Jesus is a day-by-day endeavor; the work is never done as long as we have breath and Jesus hasn’t returned.

So, when things go well, this doesn’t mean that I put a pause on relying on the Lord, seeking to learn from Him, and trying to come alongside others in their own pursuit of Jesus. Quite the opposite actually. By having done so and continuing to do so, in Him I have found and continue to find rest.

I’ve heard the peace of God described as “tranquility within the chaos”. No matter whether my life circumstances are tranquil or chaotic, I seek to follow the peace of God and be faithful wherever that takes me.

In this season, that’s the DMV.