Vicar's Sofa: All Change

'Change is a blessing and a gift disguised in work clothes'
 

If the last few weeks have taught me anything, then they have taught me this. It has been a whirlwind of paperwork, lengthy phone calls to broadband providers, sleepless nights over cancelled movers and patchy paintwork. It has been a total blur such that I began to realise that a huge part of my life was ending and I had hardly noticed.
 

The vastness of the task of moving and beginning a whole new working life had done a pretty spectacular job of disguising what this all really is, a time of change but undoubtedly a time of blessing too. Packed to the rafters with opportunity and gift.

Today I spent the afternoon holed up in bed with a magazine and managed to de-fizz enough to start to wonder about all the things around the corner. Up until now it has been hard to do that much wondering because I've felt like a bunny in headlights. Best not to stare at the oncoming car lest I get stuck in the middle of the road when I should be running (read: getting stuff done) as fast as my little legs can carry me.
 

But with any change there are choices. Things to leave behind and new ways to go about things. This afternoon I made a list of all the things, big and small, that I hope will be a part of this new phase of life. It's a funny old list, things like 'grow and be challenged', 'entertain friends' and 'focus on the important stuff' along with 'make tea in my pjs', 'watch a lot of bad telly' and 'grow fruits'!
 

What seems like an extraordinary waste of time to one person is the making of a balanced, happy life for another. I'm glad that more and more I know what keeps me sane and cheerful in the day to day as well as accepting that the search for a way of life that really means something to me is going to be challenging by default.
 

So now it's just about getting there, about sticking on the work clothes to navigate this change as best I can. Our house is full of boxes and I only have vague pictures in my head of what the new place will be like and some half finished furniture restoration projects on the go. But amidst all the mayhem (and sawdust!) I'm starting to think something pretty great might emerge out of this new adventure.

Watch this space!