This Proverb is perfect for a type-A planner like me. I’ve been known to put together a PowerPoint Presentation for God to include 6 week, 6 month, & 6 year projections about where I think my life should be going. Okay, not really, BUT I’d love it if He’d do that for me 😆As I contemplated what to write about as 2022 came to a close & we began a new year, this Proverb came to mind because it could pretty much sum up last year. I had plans in my mind, but God directed our steps much differently. For those of us that believe God is good & that He does good, we can trust that even when things don’t go as planned, He’s still reigning sovereignly over our lives. On paper, we should be anxiously scheming where to go from here. By faith, we’re patiently allowing God to direct our next steps. Easy preachin’, hard livin’. But livin’ it we are!
I may have accidentally stumbled upon a new yearly tradition. I began to recap 2022 by noting what events had taken place each month. My calendar & camera roll helped me. Then I got lost in the bajillion pictures I have on my phone & put together collages to go with each one. Time-consuming, yes. 😅But it also turned to worship as I recalled all that God brought us through. I reviewed both trials & smiles that I had forgotten about. I saw baby faces disappearing into toddler faces. 😭So many milestones & memories. So many answered prayers. I think I just may have to do this every year. Enjoy a little summary of last year before I look ahead into what 2023 has in store for Grace & Grit 💚
January– This time last year we moved from Virginia to Concord, North Carolina! God provided us the perfect little rental house for our family. Chris took a position as pastor of a church in the area. We had three babies under three & it was a whirlwind to move with them. But we were so excited for the next chapter.
February – Willow turned 3 this month! We enjoyed visits from family. This month included SO many doctor’s appointments as we began setting Tate up with all of his healthcare needs. We got settled into our new home & church. We love this area of NC!
March – This month we had more visits from home. Tate finally started PT after a few months off & praise God, they came to our house! We continued to have lots more doctor appointments but we also enjoyed time at the park & library. This is the month I realized just how much they’ve grown over the past year – where are those baby faces?! 😥
April – We roadtripped to FL for my cousin’s wedding! Sadly, Tate broke his collarbone & recovered like a champ. I attended my first pastor’s wife meeting where I met Carrie. Providentially, we met right when we desperately needed a new Orthopedic doctor for Tate. Carrie’s son had clubbed feet as well & she referred me to their doctor that they loved. Tate was seen by this new doctor before the end of the month. His timing is perfect! The Palmer family quickly became amazing friends. (And we’re so busy with babies when we get together that we never get pictures of us adults apparently!😂) We enjoyed Easter Sunday at our new church! Chris’s parents came for a sweet visit. And Tate started play therapy.
May – Tate’s Ortho needs were finally met this month; we began casting his feet. My bestie Kendall & her sweet daughter Hazel came to visit. She even let Chris & I sneak in a date night 🙌🏼Our awesome friends Steve & Jenny visited with their adorable baby Reuben. We celebrated Jenny’s b-day with candles in queso 😂Due to some concerns, Crew had a feeding evaluation that found a tongue & lip tie. I made a surprise Mother’s Day visit home for the weekend with Willow.
June – My mom came for a visit to help us when Tate had surgery on his clubbed feet. I turned 30 this month, Tate turned 2, & my parents visited us for the birthday weekend! By this point in the year, the “Harrison Hotel” had hosted so many visitors & we loved every one! (But mama is always my favorite 😍)Crew had his tongue/lip tie corrected & began feeding therapy. Having 2 kids in separate therapies was a juggling act but we made it 👏
July – Unfortunately, those plans I mentioned at the start of this post didn’t turn out as we hoped. This month Chris resigned from the church he came to pastor. Though we would’ve never planned this outcome, we’re confident that God directed our steps & that we made the right decision for our family. ❤️ Tate’s casts came off just in time for a lake trip to Alabama with my mom’s family! We enjoyed lots of family time as we prayed about where God would have us next.
August – “Now what?” Seemed to be the question of the month. We took a beach trip as a family of 5 & of course, everyone decided to get sick that week. We made the best of it! Side note from all of our traveling with littles: you can take it to the bank that someone is going to vomit on every trip & there’s a 2% chance you’ll actually be able to relax & a 1,000% chance you’ll be dying to get back home so you can sleep again 🥴🤪💯There were lots of meetings & networking this month as we were considering a return to ministry or deciding if a break was best for our family. Tate had a speech evaluation. We took a trip home to Virginia to see friends & family before Chris got back to work. We dubbed it “the Reunion Tour” – It was good for our souls.
September – What a blur! Tate said goodbye to the “green bean” & upgraded his wheels. Chris got a job running a concrete pump truck like he’d done years ago. His hours were INSANE. We continued with ALL the boy’s therapies. #ScrambledEggBrain 🍳 Somehow we survived. I may have had to make an S.O.S. Phone call to a precious, nearby friend for assistance during what I like to call “The Poopening of 2022” 💩…but we had a good laugh & once again, we made it (thanks Bethany!) 😘Awana Clubs was a hit this month & my bigs were ready to go door-knockin’ with their new Bibles 😍😆
October – Praise God for providing a job for Chris that was a MUCH better fit for our family! He’s now a superintendent with Schumacher homes, building custom houses. Crew turned 1 this month & he got braces to address some concerns with his ankles/walking. (Because 1 boy in braces wasn’t enough & we like to give mama one more thing to juggle 🙃 #BlessIt )Chris & I celebrated our 9th anniversary.❤️ Tate & I met Maggie & Ridge, another Spina Bifida family. We had a blast at events like “Touch-A-Truck” & our church’s “Trunk or Treat.” Speaking of church, this month we joined Laurel Baptist Church. Finally, we were able to take a deep breath & simply attend church to worship in a Gospel-centered environment where our dear friends pastor. 🙌🏼Tate began speech therapy this month, because why not?! 🤪 Y’all know I’m kidding; anything for these babies. 😉We also snuck in a visit home for Chris’s dad’s 60th birthday.
November– Tate was approved for a Medicaid waiver for children with disabilities, which qualified him to receive care from a CNA in our home during the week. This month CNA interviews began. Unfortunately, the first one started with us & didn’t work out.😕 I was discouraged but determined to find the right fit for our family. Tate also had a wheelchair trial & we ordered his first official manual chair 🦽 (to come in the new year!). We did a month of thankfulness for family worship & we traveled home for thanksgiving in VA. 🍁
December – We enjoyed the festivities at Carowinds theme park with sweet friends. 🎢 We started all kinds of Christmas traditions & did the Jesse Tree advent devotions for family worship this month. Our new CNA started, Ariona, & she’s a gift from heaven. 💯The perfect fit for our family! We enjoyed Christmas at home in Virginia & shared some exciting news with loved ones. 🥰
I know some of y’all caught that sneaky ultrasound pic in the December collage 👀 😅🤭So as we look ahead into 2023, I guess it’s time to announce that the Harrisons will be becoming a party of 6️⃣ this summer!🤰 Baby #4️⃣ is on the way & we’re so thankful that God is giving us another little one to love. 👣 One of my first blog posts was about all the comments we got when Crew was on the way & how an encouraging mama friend reminded me that “this is the best thing I’ll ever do.” Sure, there are plenty of “opinions” people may have about the size of our family or the kid’s close ages … But as I looked back over 2022 & gathered pictures of our busy year, I watched our babies growing up right before my eyes. Despite the chaos, the busyness, the messes & the huge responsibility – I canNOT wait to add another baby to the mix. What a gift, what a joy, what a calling, & what a ministry motherhood is. The only thing we can take to heaven is people & by God’s grace, the people I raise may be the most eternally impactful ministry I ever get to participate in.
Here’s the big lesson I’m learning from 2022: God is not so much concerned with WHAT you are, rather WHO you are. While you might be stressing over location, He’s working on your sanctification. Our identity is found in Him, not any other title or position. Too often we fear men & what they think about us when a proper perspective causes us to fear God & consider what He thinks about us. God cares more about our character than our comfort. He uses the things that challenge us, that stretch us, even the things that break our hearts to conform us more into the image of His Son Jesus. It’s not so much, “where should I move, what job should I take, where do I go from here?” It’s more so, “what is God trying to teach me, how can I grow in holiness here, how can I glorify God where I am?”
Looking ahead into 2023, I don’t even know how to plan! I don’t know if our family will return to “full-time ministry”; instead we’re focusing on ministering the Gospel to our children full-time. I don’t know where we’ll live after this rental expires; buy, build, move? But like the Psalmist, I do know I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken or His seed begging for bread. I’ll focus on seeking first the Kingdom of God & everything else will fall into place. I don’t know how much more crazy we can juggle over here at the Harrison house, but I know we’re gonna brace for impact & Lord willing we’ll marvel at the miracle of new life once again this summer.
Certainly this verse has been plucked out of context & plastered on T-shirts, mugs, & canvases more times than we could count. 🤪But seriously, when your hope, your peace, your joy are found in the Person of Jesus Christ; you can smile at the future, no matter how uncertain the days ahead appear.
In 2023, may we be less concerned with the “what, why, when, and where” and much more concerned with the “WHO” that God is molding us to be.
By His Grace & My Grit,
~Hilary
