Pillow Talk

When Tom and I first got married, we brought into the marriage things from each of our previous homes. One thing he brought was his pillow. A pillow that was perfect. It supported the head just right. Now this was his pillow, so how do I know this? It’s quite simple. It’s a tale that started over 29 years ago. . .

When I got pregnant with our first child, I had trouble sleeping. I couldn’t find a comfortable position or a pillow that would support my head. Tom offered me the use of his pillow (he was both gracious and selfless). It was a magic pillow. It supported my head perfectly. My neck and shoulders were no longer in pain. I slept like a baby.

After I gave birth, I didn’t return the pillow. Tom would ask, mind you, but I told him he gave it to me as a gift for carrying his child. Rubbish, I know but he allowed me to get away with it. If you ask him today he would say “I stole it,” but I would much rather believe that “he gave it to me.” It’s since been a long running joke between us.

Then one day the unthinkable happened. After many, many glorious years of enjoyment the pillow fell apart. It started to break down. It was no longer comfortable. I was so sad. I had that pillow for a crazy amount of years and now it was gone. It was as if my friend left me.

So began the search for the perfect pillow. Trust me I have tried many (if the picture above is any indication). I’ve found that they start off promising but that only lasts a couple of days. I’ve spent way too much time trying to find the perfect pillow that will give me the support I’m looking for to no avail.

I may not have found the perfect pillow but I’m grateful that God has never left me. There are times I’ve tried to substitute Him with what I think is a perfect replacement but that always leaves me wanting. It’s never the right fit for me. I don’t know why I would search. He loves me perfectly. He supports me perfectly. He comforts me and doesn’t break down in time. He is timeless.

© Nadine Zawacki 2012

Transition

My life has been filled with transitions lately. Tom got a new job as pastor of Charlottetown Community Church (CCC). The church is located in a beautiful place on Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada. We have moved around in the past (West Virginia, Washington, Texas and back to New York) but never to a different country.

            I had just started a new job that I loved, when Tom got the call. We both knew that this was God. We believe we are following Him. Having been here for a week, I’m totally in love with my new home and I don’t mean just my beautiful new house.

            Every time we had moved in the past, there were issues that plagued us. West Virginia – a serious car accident; Washington – the truck lost power steering and brakes just as it got to the top of a hill; Texas –we had two flat tires, and coming back to New York – Tom was recovering from his second battle with cancer. I was almost afraid to see what would happen with this new move. We had some issues with visas and health insurance but thanks to prayers and the help of my brother-in-law’s friend it all worked out.

I was blessed by two very close friends who took the trip from New York all the way to Charlottetown to help us move. In all the times we moved, no one had ever done that. Thank you Erica and Chris for making this journey a fun one.

I was blown away by the amount of people from CCC that met us at the new house. The huge twenty-six foot truck was emptied in forty-five minutes. The people at CCC didn’t stop there. For the past week Tom and I have been blessed by wonderful meals prepared by the wonderful, generous people of CCC. It enabled us to concentrate on unpacking the massive boxes we have. They have arranged for another week of meals. There are many good cooks at this new church and we are feeling the love.

                        There is lots of adjustments to make; the currency, the metric system (I was very bad at it in school), and I find they take recycling very seriously. None of these changes are scary or even troublesome. It’s a different way of doing things. Even when we moved around in the US there were changes from state to state.

             I’m excited about this new transition. I’m looking forward to getting to know the people of CCC and the people of PEI. My French is very rusty – I try not to speak it in public so that I don’t shame my family – but with French channels I might get my French mojo back.

            Transition is scary or at least to me. I have great peace being here. I know this is exactly where God wants me to be. I’m excited about what the future holds.

© Nadine Zawacki 2012