advent

 We are closing in on the end of a whirlwind year 

for our family. Last Christmas I was reeling from 

Matt's cousin being shot in the line of duty. We 

celebrated with him on Christmas Day, he was 

already released from the hospital at that time. 

It was hard for me to work through. I knew God 

had miraculously intervened to save him but 

I felt scared & out of joint. He was Matt's cousin, 

childhood best friend, they worked together, & 

the shooting was just a few blocks from our Nampa home. 

  Before I had worked through any of that, God started 

pressing on Matt & I in a different direction. It started to 

get really uncomfortable for us in areas of our life we had 

previously thought settled. We have some names for God 

around here, we like John Eldredge's "Divine Thwarter," or 

Matt Chandler's, "Haunting", Beth Moore has said, "He's just 

the bossiest thing." Yes, we felt all that in our wonderful life 

we built in Nampa. Thwarted. Haunted. An unrelenting pull 

away from the comfort we were enjoying.

 In 2010, Matt & I had a ridiculously good vacation to Seattle. 

It worked it's way into our minds as the Promised Land.

Remembering that we are raising 4 little people prompted us 

to take another, more realistic, trip. In February we drove on

icy roads to stay in Seattle's crappy hotels, wander Safeway, 

& stalk affordable neighborhoods. We thought the surefire 

cure for the unrest we felt was to  see milk at $6.00 a gallon 

& witness a few back alley drug deals. 

 Nope. In fact, after a tear-filled church service, Matt felt like 

we were supposed to move and NOW. So we headed back to 

Idaho and began to plan it out. Matt spent the spring trying to 

wrap up the work he had loved for eight years. It was a heavy 

load to set down, bittersweet in every way. 

 We found ourselves on the road to Seattle. Matt & I, 

my sister, 4 kids, 1 dog, a minivan, a moving truck, and 

2 fish in a crockpot inside a vintage Mercedes. Sounds like 

a bad country song, eh? We moved on Memorial Day, 

along with half of the Northwest. The last hours spent in 

traffic just minutes from our new home, felt like days. 

The first month was exhausting. And lonely. But we were 

so hopeful. Our new adventure had begun.

 Matt took a week to get us settled and then began to look 

for work. The idea we had was that either A: This was going 

to be a 6 week sabbatical and then we would go back to 

Idaho or B: Matt would find meaningful work that was not so 

hard on our family. (and, that this would all be made clear 

once we were moved. You know? Like a nicely wrapped gift 

left on our bed pillow.) 

 It was not clear. Not one moment of clarity since we left the 

208 area code! The summer moved on with many 

blessings- amazing neighbors, generous friends, a better 

understanding of our family. But no insight, no plan, nada. 

I could go into how this played out, but I won't. I will say that 

the waiting was excruciating, soul-squeezing, draining, 

exhausting work. Matt & I agree, the hardest it has ever been

to hold on. 

 School started after Labor Day & I had decided there was 

not enough chaos in our unemployed, unsettled, impatient 

lives. Let's Homeschool! I wanted to quit on the first week. 

But we persevered and we are at a better place with it. 

I love having the boys home and learning more about how 

each of them think. That being said, I do not think it will be a 

long term situation for our boys.

Come November, we thought we had hit rock bottom & 

surrendered. And then the bottom of rock bottom fell out

from underneath us. All the rejection, emotion, & panic of 

the job search was too much. I asked Matt if we could just

leave the applications that were in process & not apply 

anywhere else. We agreed that he would not apply any new

places & if we were not gainfully employed by the New Year, 

we would pack up from our extended sabbatical & head back 

to Idaho.

 We are now in the throws of Advent. Matt & I greet this 

season with a new understanding of what it is to 
wait. And! Matt got the call last night that he has 
a job, starting...

The first day of the New Year.

Merry Christmas to you & yours from The Archuletas