A Growing Season

ByD'Ann Mateer
10 Comments

It’s spring! Do you know what that means? Green grass. New leaves. Colorful flowers. The beginning of a season of growth.

The truth is, I don’t pay a lot of attention to that kind of thing. Both of my grandmothers were amazing gardeners. One even owned a greenhouse! I, however, inherited the brownest thumb you can imagine. I even kill the aloe vera plants my mother insists don’t require much attention to thrive.

But this spring, I’m noticing the profusion of green and color around me, in large part because I am in a growing season myself. If you read my last post, you know that we have recently downsized in a major way. What I didn’t mention is that we have done so much more than move into a smaller space. We have jumped into an entirely different lifestyle, too.

My husband and I raised our children in a small-town-turned-suburb of a major metropolitan city. We created habits and routines we liked, made a life that felt good. A life we enjoyed. Then God took two people who hate change, and He changed our entire lives.

As fairly new empty nesters, we moved to a new city. While we liked the thought of “urban” living, we only dipped our toes in those waters, choosing an apartment just beyond the bounds of downtown. From there, I managed my daily life much as before—jumping in my car to run errands as I learned my way around, living in less space yet maintaining a second bedroom I used as an office. On the weekends we pretended we were adventurous city-dwellers, walking to restaurants and other activities. This was to be a “temporary” move, and we lived it as such.

Until it wasn’t temporary any longer.

Suddenly (truly, suddenly—it happened so fast!) we found ourselves buying a teeny, tiny condo in a high-rise building downtown. A unit with only one bedroom. One bathroom. And one parking space. A place where there are rules to follow—rules not of my own making. And people. There are always people. (Including awkward, silent elevator rides with strangers. And sometimes even more awkward conversations with them! For an introvert like me, both options are terrifying!)

Everything in our lives has changed, requiring me to rethink and restructure every habit and routine I have worked my whole life to create. That kind of wholesale change hasn’t been easy—isn’t easy. And yet every now and then over the past few weeks, as the trees along the river out my window have grown full and green, I get a glimpse of something good coming from this lifestyle shake up. I find myself exploring new emotions, navigating new situations, and encountering new people. Like the world bursting to life all around me, I am at the beginning of a growing season. Roots of faith diving deeper. Leaves of trust unfurling. And at the most unexpected moments, bright petals of joy bursting into the midst of it all. 

Have you ever had a significant lifestyle change and had to rebuild your habits and routines to fit it? Any tips for me (and others) navigating that kind of upheaval?

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Inspired by novelist Eugenia Price, D’Ann’s dream of writing historical fiction with an element of faith began in middle school, though her serious drive toward publication took a bit longer. D’Ann is the author of four historical novels and one novella, as well as a contemporary short stories in a compilation volume. D’Ann and her husband of 30 years can be found in Austin, TX when they aren’t touring historic sites or visiting their grown children.

10 Comments

  1. Thank you for sharing your adventure into urban lifestyle change. Moving into a one bedroom condo downtown is quite the drastic change! Do you find yourself walking a lot MORE?

    My husband and I have not taken that drastic of a plunge, but we made some similar adjustments in the past 6 years. We resigned our church (lived there 23 years as youth and later as lead pastor) in a moderate sized town, living in the suburbs. We moved to a big city and now live 4 miles from one of the largest universities in the U. S. We are leading a new church startup (6 months old) that is focused on the people who live and work in the University District Villages.

    We made this shift in our mid-50’s. We were semi-depressed for the first 6 months, so hard to leave our church and many deep relationships. Yet, God walked with us each step of the way. We bought a house 1/3 the size of the home we sold after renting the 1st 3 years there. While renting, we lived in close proximity of so many neighbors who simply did not make eye contact or acknowledge your presence. Yet, the Lord showed us favor with 7 other individuals/families whom God helped us to reach out to and start a friendship, 2 who decided to commit their lives to Christ.

    No matter what society dictates as to eye contact, saying hello in the elevator, etc., His ways and mandate of Love thy neighbor are still what He expects from His disciples. Go for it! There are other quiet and reserved people who would respond to your timid Hello. We have found that many people living in urban areas feel lonely. Pay attention to whom God is already at work in their lives and seem to respond positively to your friendly overtures.

    1. Wow, Kandy! I love that you have had a similar experience! Thank you so much for sharing. Your story is indeed an encouragement to me!

  2. You’re finding new depths of courage, Anne. I admire you for that – for following the Lord’s call to leave the familiar and comfortable to go somewhere new and intimidating. So hard! I can only image how much more you are leaning on God’s strength these days. Keep seeking His beauty, and you will find it.

    1. Thank you, Karen! I appreciate your encouragement. It hasn’t been an easy change, but I think I see glimmers of hope–especially for renewed creativity and writing time.

  3. Lovely post! As I read this, “Like the world bursting to life all around me, I am at the beginning of a growing season” I was struck by the reminder that I, too, should be on the cusp of new growing season. At every stage and phase. He’s always wanting to do a new thing in me! It’s me who sometimes wants to remain stagnant instead.

  4. Anne, I went through a major life change too when I moved to Florida. I feel like God pulled the rug out from under my comfort zone to relocate me so he could create a new lifestyle for me. I didn’t want to move, but now I’m glad I did and I can see why it happened. I moved out of a large traditional home to a contemporary condo, so I got rid of almost all my furniture. When my Bff visited me a few weeks later, she said, “You’ve reinvented yourself!” Maybe I can’t take the credit though. It’s an Ecclesiastes 3 kind of life.

    1. I love hearing that, Marilyn! There is such power when we can share with one another was the Lord has done in our lives. This is so encouraging to me! Thank you!

  5. My lifestyle change happened 8 years ago when my husband broke his neck.
    Dying for 20 seconds, pacemaker surgery, 2 hospitals in 2 different towns, one to get him stabilized and the other for rehab, doctor visits, more rehab locally this time, all in all, a year that I don’t care to repeat. Throw in my gallbladder surgery and my Mom starting with Alzheimer’s and you have a year of chaos.
    God is good in that my husband is alive and well today, I don’t miss my gallbladder, and after 3 years of taking care of my Mom, she is sitting at the feet of Jesus.
    P.S. The next time you get on the elevator, start up a conversation and ask people if they like to read and then hand them one of your books. We have them in the church library.

    1. Oh, Janet! I’m sure that year did shake up your lifestyle–for then and beyond! Yes, God is good. And thank you for the encouragement!

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