Moving to Charlotte

It's a weird feeling- when your soul aches to leave a wonderful season but is also craving something fresh. Leaving Columbia meant leaving people who fully knew me and (somehow) still fully loved me, leaving the most gospel-centered church family I'd ever experienced and a whole lot of memories.

But I also felt stagnant in my relationship with the Lord. Not because of the city I was in, but because I let myself grow comfortable in where I was-which actually didn't feel very comfortable. Not when we're designed to grow continually deeper into our relationship with Jesus. But I felt powerless to put in more effort and felt disconnected from Jesus because I disconnected myself from his mission.

I always wondered about where I would end up after college. The freedom to choose has been one of my most favorite blessings. I knew after one month into my freshman year at USC that I wanted to stay in the South, and after living in Charlotte for an internship last summer, it completely captured my heart.

It wasn't at first where I saw myself, but after God opened door after door here, I knew it was right. I've never felt such a peace about a city. I've never been in one that so much embodies all that I love in life.

Charlotte, NC

Smaller than D.C., bigger than Columbia. Southern, growing, full of young professionals. Charlotte sits near Lake Norman and Crowder's Mountain, is home to the U.S. Whitewater Center and the Greenway. It's full of adorable areas like South End and Dilworth that sport unique restaurants and coffeeshops. It's a growing foodie city (I can walk to cafes that sell green juice!) and has a multitude of events like River Jam, Food Truck Friday and concerts.

My lovely roommate, Meri, and I at Food Truck Friday

 The Uptown area is easy to navigate, clean and stunning. And speaking of stunning- each home in Charlotte from the smallest to the largest have such a beauty to them. People are always exercising- biking, running races, doing yoga- oh how I love active communities! I found a great church within the first week, and a lifegroup of fantastic women that welcomed me in with open arms. 

Some gals from my lifegroup at the Judah and the Lion concert in the Whitewater Center

And of course the ability to bike to the Farmer's Market. You really can't beat that. I mean, look at those berries!

Farmer's market goodies (!!!)

I didn't need a new city for God to revive my spirit, but for whatever reason that's what He used. For the first time in months, I feel purpose breathed back into my being. I can see reasons why I'm here, and more importantly I can see Him through the welcoming arms and truth saturated words of new friends. I can feel His faithfulness whenever I see the Charlotte skyline- echoes of answered prayers and Him knowing better than I about where to bend my path. I feel refreshed by new surroundings that let me step out and see life with different perspective. I'm free to stop comparing myself to who I was when I felt closest to the Lord's will a few years ago.

It's not nearly as much about the city that I'm in as it is about saying "yes" to God when he asks me to move to a city I barely know a soul, when he asks me to pursue a new friendship that's completely unfamiliar, when he asks me to be still in His presence instead of immediately filling my emptiness with busyness, when he asks me to listen more than I speak. It's about trusting him when he opens doors and accepting Him when he doesn't. It's about being okay with not knowing how long I'll be here or the friend group I'll have or the job I'll work three years from now, because I know he has me here now and that is enough. And because He says I am, I am enough.

Peaceful morning on my front porch

I'm unbelievably thankful for all the ways God has already shown himself to me in Charlotte, and I'm praying that this new season will bring less comfort, less possessions, less busyness, and more meaningful conversation, more intentional use of time, and more being consumed by Jesus than consuming.

Feel free to visit for a home-cooked meal and a walk around our quaint, lovely neighborhood!