The Year of Being Thirty: Life Upside Down (and God Exactly the Same as He's Always Been)

One of the sweetest things to measure from this year:  tons of great together time with  a guy I adore.

Writing is my favorite way to log where I've been. I'm fortified to move forward with confidence when I have concrete evidence of how I felt in past craziness AND how I saw God bring me through it.

On my thirtieth birthday last year, I wrote about trusting God with my future, believing that the things He's chosen to put into my life are part of His "inheritance" for me -- and believing that I will be able to look back and say those very things are "good." Not just bearable, but good. And I stepped into my thirty-first year with expectancy.

I cannot believe all the things that happened to me when I was thirty. The list is overwhelming:

I started grad school, pursuing an exciting Masters in Literacy Education program.
I wrote like a fiend for the first five months, putting 2011 on track to have far more blog posts than any previous year.
I watched a friendship with an amazing guy blossom into...something more.
I summoned every giddy bone in my body when he called to ask me out -- and quickly said yes.
I flew over the handlebars of my moped (on our second date, just thirteen days later), spent three days in the hospital, and came home diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate brain injury.
I spent months with my curtains drawn, sleeping half the day, avoiding noisy or bright places, living a tiny sliver of the frantic schedule I'd kept up in my former life.
I learned to watch TV. In large amounts.

I cried when I was told I couldn't return to work this year because of the injury.
I left my grad program behind for the same reason, but with less emotional fanfare.

I enjoyed countless hours with Dave (the aforementioned amazing guy, who proved to be even more amazing by sticking with me through everything and contributing way more than his share to our relationship!).
I logged hundreds of hours at therapy appointments and doctor visits.
I gained enormous amounts of knowledge about medical bills and health insurance.
I experienced far greater generosity than I could ever have anticipated.
I said goodbye to my roommate of six years, and I moved in with my brother and his family.

All of these things, in less than twelve months.

I'm six months into year thirty-one, and from this near position, I can already look back and see that what God has included is good. Not often easy, but good. And I am grateful.