Oasis

Chris and I are approaching seven years of marriage in January.  We've had some obvious blessings over the years.  The list is quite normal...including the usual like the kids (which feels like a blessing about 57% of the time), housing, employment, and each other.  We've also had some good pets.  And we've only lit the house on fire once (*we* meaning...a certain husband of mine.  He'll quickly point out that one time I burned bacon for so long on the stove that it disintegrated into nothing and filled the house with smoke, all because I was watching an episode of Cribs on MTV.  However, I'll counterpoint with the fact that there were certainly no flames.  He made flames with a car seat and a stove.  Long story.)  We've also maintained our health and have been blessed with healthy children. (In all seriousness, I do not take an ounce of that for granted.  Healthy children are miraculous.) 

We've seen the Seahawks go to the Superbowl.  I think Chris would include that.  (Don't talk to him about that though, because he'll go on and on and on about some bad call or whatever.  I've further been blessed with the ability to nod and tune out this tirade.  See?  The blessings rain down.)

All this is well and good, but 2010 has really brought an unexpected blessing to the Garland family in the form of Oasis Community Church.  I would be remiss to call this blog a place to discuss our blessings without referencing our church. 

It struck me recently that we began regularly attending Oasis just 12 months ago, and now Chris and I can't really imagine our lives without the church body.  I've never belonged to a church, so I had no idea what I was missing.  Given the mix of Chris and I, the joining of the Garlands to a church body would prove to be very difficult.  Chris likes Sunday football and small talk.  I hate crowds, and can barely manage small talk before getting to the grit of stuff, which freaks people out.  Consequently, I hover around groups of people and struggle to join.  Chris jumps head in, but quickly departs to look at the ESPN website or something.  And for whatever reason, I have an aversion (or shall I say, I had an aversion) to being recognized.  As a mental health counselor, you quickly learn that being recognized in public is not really all that wonderful.  We've tried to attend church over the years, but they were either too big, too small, too boring, too old, too young, too religious...blah blah blah.  I remember saying out loud to Chris one day that for us to find a church, somebody is going to have to hunt us down and seek us out.  Never happened.  Perfect excuse.  And also, as a side note, if anyone actually did try to hunt us down, I'm sure we would have freaked out and said they were trying too hard.  (*we* meaning me.  I'm difficult like that?  Chris likes everyone.)

Then Oasis happened to us.  They didn't hunt, but they sort of noticed us standing on the outskirt of the congregation and started to circle around us.  Super slow, so as not to startle us (meaning me).  They invited Chris to play sports (the perfect invitation).  They nonchalantly invited us to community group, as if it wasn't anything big.  They dedicated our boys when we weren't all the way dedicated ourselves. They accepted me with open arms when I fell apart after Justin's seizure.  They taught me how to pray.  They brought us meals in support of Adelai's birth (still as mostly strangers, mind you).  They were consistently available and pretty awesome.  And, they let me cry whenever I want without pointing out how awkward it is, even when I'm reading scripture in front of 150+ people.  That's nice. 

Chris and I have lived in this town for 7 years and yet we've never really considered it home.  We've always wanted to return to the Seattle area, yet circumstance after circumstance has made it impossible to go.  It was never bad stuff that kept us here, but rather opportunity after opportunity after opportunity.  We couldn't really ever say no...but it felt like an island.  Chris and I against the world without ever asking for help because really, there wasn't anyone lining up to offer it.  After joining Oasis, I honestly think this is the first time I feel like we are home.  Suddenly there is a whole host of people lining up, and they are all pretty amazing.  In so many ways, I think God kept us here knowing full well that we wouldn't find Him unless we stayed.

And the Seahawks get DVR'd.  Seriously. 

This is the first Christmas that Chris and I are planning our entire holiday around the Christmas Eve service. 
We are in a good place.  We're starting new traditions, banishing old ones and it's good.  Really good.