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| Mormon Rocks in Cajon Pass California - By Ken Hulsey |
About ten years ago I prayed a very deep and heart felt prayer for God to change me. At that particular time in my life I was very unhappy with how my life was going and I was honestly seeking a new direction and purpose. It was without a doubt the most honest and straight forward prayer of my life.
Here I am a decade later and I have to report that God did indeed answer my prayer that day. What I didn't understand was exactly what it would entail for God to help me make the changes that I so desperately longed for. It started with the quick deterioration of my marriage that soon ended in divorce and culminated with me having to leave my home state of California for a new life in Louisiana. Along the way I met Terri, who is the love of my life. We were married in 2019 and have been very happy ever since.
During our time in California Terri and I longed for a different life somewhere away from the high cost of living and toxic political climate. When the opportunity came to move away we jumped at it. What we didn't do was think about what would be getting ourselves into and what we would be leaving behind.
Adjusting to life in central Louisiana has been very hard. Much harder than I had thought it would be. Naively I believed that somehow things in a small town wouldn't be much different from that of city life. I thought that the things that we enjoyed like going to antique shops, museums and enjoying nature would exist here just like they did back in California. We would just have to go out and discover them.
An experience that I was very much looking forward to.
After three years here in Louisiana, and a lot of searching, I have had to come to grips with the fact that the things that I thought would be the same simply aren't. Antique stores are called Flea Markets and they generally sell old furniture or old household junk. If you are looking for old comic books or toys like Terri and I collect and sell in our online store you are out of luck. People down here find little value in such things. In regards to museums, again there are a few, but due to the state's budget issues they are generally poorly maintained or closed. In regards to nature, there is plenty of that to enjoy, however the oppressive heat and humidity in the summer plus the wet bitter weather in winter make it hard. Plus the fact that there are a dozen or so critters out there that would love to eat me makes wandering out in the woods a bit scary.
To put it simply the quality of life here in Louisiana isn't on par with what I left in California.
I know that it sounds like I'm complaining and that I'm going out of my way bag on Louisiana. That really isn't the point that I'm trying to get to though.
What I've discovered through prayer and many conversations with the Lord is that it was necessary for my spiritual growth that I be relocated here. I needed to be removed from the way of life that I enjoyed so that I could focus on my faith without distractions. I know now that if I had stayed in California I would, in all likelihood, not have developed the kind of relationship I have with Jesus.
The Lord also put on my heart that I had been very ungrateful for all the blessings that He had bestowed on me over the years. Had I ever taken the time to thank him for the blessings of living near the beach, the wealth of great comics and toys He supplied, the great museums we used to enjoy, the beautiful mountains, the temperate weather, good jobs or even the quality of cable television I enjoyed?
The answer to that is no.
The Lord had to move me away from all of that so that I could learn what the true value of His blessings really are.
I also have to understand that I need to also be thankful for the blessings in my life now. Things here in Louisiana may not be what I've become accustomed to over the course of my life, but that doesn't mean that things aren't good in my life.
Louisiana has some of the most beautiful sunrises anywhere in the world. As much as the Southwest is known for it's amazing sunsets, here in the deep South I am treated to the most spectacular sunrises that I have ever seen. God paints on a grand canvas for me every morning.
There is one thing that I can say for certain, Louisiana's strength comes from it's people. The people down here are the most loving, hard working and God fearing people you would ever hope to find. Everyone greats you with a smile and act like they have known you their whole life. People are polite and courteous on the whole. It's 'yes sir', 'yes mam', 'please', 'thank you', 'how are you?' and 'God bless you' all day long down here. People work hard down here, they literally have to for survival. People want to work and don't want hand outs.
Unfortunately the political and economic climate here force the majority of people to rely on government money.
That's something for a future article.
This leads me to my extended Louisiana family, or to be more precise, my church family. I have been blessed in being lead to Journey Church in Pineville. Pastor James Greer is an amazing teacher who relates the word of God in a refreshing straight forward and down to earth manor that is easy to understand and put into practice. From day one Terri and I were welcomed with open arms and soon joined the church. Then came the amazing opportunity to serve. First I worked in security ten moved on to being a host/greeter. Terri likewise began teaching pre kindergarten. These opportunities have allowed us both to grow in our faith while serving our church family.
Yes, I am very grateful for what Jesus has done, and is presently doing in our lives today.
I urge you to never get caught in the trap of having a 'the grass is always greener someplace else' mentality. There may be someplace better for you and your family, but don't ever forget to be thankful for what you have where you have it. Take full advantage of the blessings that God has bestowed upon you. If there is another place for you, remember to pray about it and follow the path that God leads you down.
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