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By nature, I’m a reflective person. My beloved, not as much.

He’s the forward-thinking dreamer in our family. We balance each other.

This past weekend, as we worked away on a renovation project together, he reminded me of the old days.

Careful not to call them the ‘good old days’ because today is good too – just different. In the old days, we were this highly efficient team of two, a powerful duo, tackling life and projects and circumstances together, working in an easy tandem rhythm. These days, we find ourselves a differently focused team, working on understanding how we fit and work as our own version of the Three Amigos. Life can seem a little crazy as we figure out our new normal, and how we fit in this new configuration.

And sometimes you just need to slow down, look back and remember how far you’ve come in order to be able to look ahead with perspective.

Nine months ago today, we said a shell-shocked yes to becoming parents to the world’s sweetest girl, and then went shopping to buy the very first pairs of pajamas that she would wear when she came home.

One year ago, my toes were in sandals at the airport getting ready to fly to Mexico. Oh, glory. (confession: today’s snowstorm means that I would give almost anything to be back there)

Two years ago, we were finishing adoption training. I think part of that training is designed to break you and weed out the faint of heart, but we pressed through, and today our daughter is our miracle. I was also just about to learn that my abdomen contained large tumours that might be ovarian cancer. It would be over three months before we learned that they were benign. What a journey that year was. (You can read about it here)

Five years ago, we took a step of faith and decided to fully commit to believing the promise of Isaiah 61:3 and building a business (www.grafmartin.com), and it goes without saying that life hasn’t been the same since.

Six years ago, we were newlyweds, just returned from our honeymoon, figuring out life together and I was about to experience profound grief in the loss of my namesake Grandmother, one my most special people. I still miss her deeply and buy red carnations on March 22nd.

Eight years ago, after being friends for a while, I decided that I really should be dating someone just like my hubster – turned out, it was supposed to be him.

Ten years ago, I was interviewing for a job that would bring me to Ontario, where I didn’t really know a soul, and making a decision that required enormous faith and courage, but taking me to the place where I would grow roots and meet the loves of my life.

Twenty years ago, I was preparing to graduate high school, and I had no sweet clue how amazing, intense, beautiful, hard, blessed and transformative the next two decades would be.

Isn’t perspective an amazing thing? I can clearly see God’s hand and presence and even purpose in each of these stages and steps – so redemptive, so powerful, building and shaping. And, He’s not done with me yet. The future looks different as I look back. So much possibility. So much to be grateful for. So much growth, and so far yet to go. So much to give me confidence that I am loved, and cared for, and the future is also in His hands.

So, friend – what about you? If you’re wondering where in the world you’re going, does it help to look back? Your journey is important – may it encourage your own heart with remembering how far you’ve come.

Ellen