December 1, 1999… The day that December became my parents’ favorite month. I mean, the first child has to be the favorite, right? Something about, “They’ve loved me longer.” All joking aside (well, I can’t actually promise that), December really is one of the best months of the year. Full of birthdays, the Advent season, New Year Celebrations.. and I think we’ll all celebrate a little harder this year for the end of 2020. This year has not been the easiest, but I can say confidently that the Lord has used every second to draw me into deeper submission to Him, and that makes for a really good year. I am not at all sad to see 2020 go, however, I am thankful for such a good month to end it.
My friends started off the month with a surprise birthday celebration, which somehow was actually a surprise. I usually always know something is coming, but this year they did very well in their deception. 21 was definitely my favorite birthday to date, and I am very thankful for the effort everyone put in to make it a special day for me. The next weekend, a few friends and I took off to meet my friend, Brooke, in Atlanta to spend a day at the Georgia Aquarium, because the only fun way to celebrate 21 is to sit on the moving walkway with your friends and point at giant whale sharks swimming overhead. (Side note: I am really not sure how people can look at the intricacy of these animals and ecosystems and not see intelligent design and beautiful creation).
The next week brought the gang back together for a wedding, and we celebrated more birthdays and reminisced on two summers worked together at camp. Thursday night, we walked around a park full of Christmas lights, one of my favorite things, and ate our weight in bacon and eggs at waffle house. We ate yummy food and danced (well, at least tried to dance) the night away the following Saturday at the Shumaker wedding. We sent them off and ended the night playing games together with a sweet family that is gearing up for life in South Asia. You can be praying for them and a smooth transition there.
The third week of December meant a week full of work road trips to Sevierville, Asheville, and Maggie Valley. A lot of time spent in the car brought good conversations, lots of snacks, sing along marathons, and podcasts. We made a stop to J Floyd’s Gun and Golf store, better known as “the old white guy’s one stop shop” and tried to pick up our Sam’s Club order a whole day too early. You can imagine that some good laughs came out of both of those things.
I spent the next week in Proctorville with my family to celebrate the birth of my Savior and to open presents around the Christmas trees… and the swimming pool (a very merry socially distanced Christmas). It looked a lot different this year than usual, but I am still very thankful to have spent some good time with the people I love. And who doesn’t like a white Christmas?! I headed back home to the cold and crisp mountain air Sunday and prepared for our first two Winter SWO Retreats, extremely excited to be sharing life and the love of Christ with students once again. There were long cold days and nights of work that didn’t really feel like work at all with coworkers who are really just family, brothers and sisters, coheirs with Christ.
We rang in the New Year together with our version of the Opossum drop (if you know, you know), and eating way too many finger foods. There were sweet moments shared in reflection over the past year of life here in the Snowbird Mountains, and I could not be more thankful for the friendships the Lord has started here and the way He has conformed me more and more into the image of Christ. My prayer is that 2021 brings many more new friendships with those that come to labor here, and that I would be in submission to the Lord’s will for my life. It’s gonna be a good one.
The Middle Miles 
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