"Are you guys settling in?"

Is there really any way to truly settle in? If there is, I don't know it. I guess I feel like you should always be ready to go onto the next task. But, I see where the saying comes from: "Are you guys settling in?" For the most part we are......I mean, our bags are unpacked and we've hung pictures on our walls. But, our hearts and minds still long to be in the familiar.......the comfortable........our thoughts seem to always flow in the general direction of back home - gravitating unrelentlessly toward Arkansas. Don't get me wrong, North Carolina is fine. It has its really great parts (like being close to the ocean) and then it has its really not-so-great parts (honestly, I could name several - and I'm trying to stay positive - so I won't comment on that). But, settling in? I don't know about that.

See, to me, I guess I feel like "settling" means "to lessen" or be complacent when there's something better. Now, I could be totally wrong about this - and to some degree I hope I am. But, stay with me a moment. Complacenecy means contentment and I'm not 100% sure we should ever really be content with where we are in life, in our jobs, in our walks with Jesus. I guess what I'm trying to say is that we should always strive for something else. We should strive to be better at our jobs, or strive to live a better life (not monetarily or materially; but emotionally, physically and spiritually). We should strive to walk closer with Jesus and grow to know Him better and better everyday.

Contentment has its share of qualities, too, though. For example, my daughter Addyson is the most content little baby girl on the face of the planet. She only gets ticked when she's hungry or if she sees her mommy and mommy doesn't pick her up right away. Then it's on - and she doesn't want anything except her mommy to hold her. But, for the most part - she's content. That type of contentment is great; where you don't really need anything, just enjoying life, hanging out - no agenda, nothing to gain or lose. But, in the spiritual realm - am I like Addy? By that, I mean, am I good with everything in my life - except when I feel absent from my Heavenly Daddy? Am I fussing and crying because I'm not being held by the One who made me? The cool thing about that is that we serve a Papa who wants to hold us constantly. His deepest desire is for us to stretch out our hands and long for nothing but His embrace.

It's a great comparison, if you think about it (especially from my stand point, because I get to see it first hand). Picture it: this precious little baby girl is all subdued and calm - playing with her toys or chewing on Griffen - when she hears the front door open and in walks mommy. Now, at first, she sees her mommy from a distance and this huge smile crosses her face and she begins to chuckle in excitement at the thought of being in her mother's arms. Immediately she crawls as fast as her little chubby legs allow all the way to mom's feet. But, mom walks by to set her bags down. Well, that's simply unacceptable! WHAAAAAA! To the point of coughing and hacking, real tears, complete heart-break, bawling and bawling and bawling - until she feels the touch of her mommy's hands grab her and bring her up to her chest where Addy lays her head in exhaustion and exhilaration.

To me - the question shouldn't be aimed at whether one if "nesting" as if in one's home - but rather are you settling in to be content and complacent in the Lord? Technically, (and for those of who you who know me - you also know this about me - everything hinges on technicalities) settling has several meanings. For the purpose of this particular argument we'll use the "resting and nesting" meaning.

I said all that to preface this: If anything - I want to settle into the arms of my Heavenly Daddy - from whom all blessings flow, from whom the River of Life flows, from whom my manna will be provided, and from whom I have been formed and found beautifully and purposefully created. That's where I want to settle.

- The Moads (via NC)!