Fourteen.

The fear of loneliness was one of the things I was most apprehensive about before we moved out here. I thought moving to this land meant losing community. But, we decided that this space, and the opportunities it would allow for our family, was worth the risk of feeling a bit isolated. I said a prayer that God would somehow provide Jesus loving, kind people in our lives and we made a move out of the suburbs. We came here leaving behind a close-knit neighborhood where spending time with each other was as easy as stepping out your front door. We weren’t sure what life without that would be like. That unknown was scary. So, immediately following our move I started asking my women’s Bible study group to be praying that our family would find community in our new town.

Here we are five months later, and I am blown away by just how abundantly God answered our prayers. There are little glimpses of the community that God is knitting around us. We have a small family owned market nearby where they know our names. We have a sweet older man who hangs bags of avocados from his trees on our fence. These small senses of a community could have been enough, but God knows our hearts. He knows we love quality time with people. He knows our kids love to play. He knew we needed more. And He brought the more we needed by 2 little boys introducing themselves through a fence.

One day we heard kids playing in a nearby yard, and we all got excited at the prospect of new friends. So, through the fence (separated by someone else’s property!) we yelled our hellos, introductions, and exchanged phone numbers. Since that first conversation over the fence we’ve had playdates, dinners together, and pool days. God gave us a family nearby who loves Him fiercely and has a son Colton’s age and a daughter Preston’s age. What a Loving Giver! Spending time with them is like sitting with a long time friend. It’s effortless, comfortable, and sweet. They are the type of community we so desperately wanted when we made this move.

The market, the avocados, and this family could have been enough, but God gave even more. In a week my parents move into the house 2 houses away from ours! The house was on the market 1 day when my parents put their offer in, and it was accepted shortly after. Our children will grow up being able to walk to their Noni and Pops house. What a blessing! They’ve always been a significant part of our village, but I would never have imagined they’d be able to be this intertwined. We will now be able to have spontaneous dinners, easy sleepovers, lunch dates at the market, and pool days without having to drive 40 miles. A simple walk around the corner will mean making memories with them.

Our community looks different. It’s less hectic, and it’s filled with fewer people, but it’s just what our hearts need.