Putting it to the test

For the past six months that i have been living in Cabo, i have always had Wes by my side. I've never had to do life down here without him. It has always felt like "his home" and i was just visiting. I never imagined that Mexico could ever feel like "home" to me. But somewhere in the past 6 months it has become home, and in the last week I've realized just how comfortable i am here. 

Wes left town for 3 days to be in his friend's wedding, and my mom came into town to keep me company. It was the first time i had been without Wes in Cabo and i had no idea what to expect. I had always had my husband to lean on or look to when i didn't understand the language or when i needed something. Now he was gone and i was left to see how strong i really was. In the short time he was away i realized how brave i truly am and how independent i can be. the roads were still in bad condition after the rains but i drove over medians, i splashed through puddles and mud and wove in and out of traffic like it was second nature. I showed my mom all over, ordered at restaurants and opened up our home to our young marrieds group on Saturday. Life still went on even without my husband around. I did all the grocery shopping, watered the plants and even got the car washed. All these things seem so mundane to regular people, but when you are a 20 year old white girl living in Mexico, these are big things. All the labels at the grocery stores are in Spanish, the people helping you only speak Spanish and when it comes time to pay, you have to figure out the exchange rate from dollars to pesos. I never realized how comfortable i had become until it was put to the test. 

Having my mom in town was such a huge blessing to me and something we both needed. She got to see the home i have set up, meet our crazy cat, and just see what my life had become. Even though a lot of our plans were ruined due to the weather, we still enjoyed just sitting and talking. My mom is my biggest inspiration and one of my greatest encourager's. We talked about life, love, what it means to be a Godly woman, society, and so much more. I love gleaming wisdom from my mom and listening to her talk about her life experiences and to hear what the Lord is teaching her and how HE is using her back home. My prayer is with each passing day i will become more like her. Who she is as a wife, as a mother, and as a friend is beautiful. Thank you to my mom for being such a good example to me and for bringing me up in the Lord. 

This past week i have learned that i am a lot braver than i think i am and I am capable of a lot more than i let myself believe. Sometimes you just need a push to find the courage within yourself. My heart is overflowing with thankfulness: Thankful for my home, my husband, my family, the lessons the Lord is teaching me, though sometimes they are hard and uncomfortable, and thankful for health. Each day is a gift from God and i encourage all you readers to thank HIM each day you wake up! Don't take this life for granted. Use each moment you have to glorify the One who created you and to love others. Even though i can't communicate with everyone down here, all it takes is a smile to show them you care. Allow the Lord to shine through you even if you aren't using words. 

                                                                      beautiful sunset, beautiful mom.