Years ago I lived a traditional suburban life - the “American Dream.”
I was a:
- Wife
- Mother
- College Graduate
- Home Owner
- Church Member
- 401K Retirement Contributor
And for a few years, I was fine with this pre-scripted life. This “one-size fits all” formula.
Act 1
But it wasn’t long before I discovered that the one-size did not fit me. I read ahead in the script and didn’t like how it ended. I took a closer look at the reality of my roles:
- Wife. Spending time with my husband for only a few hours each evening and most weekends.
- Mother. Watching the neighborhood mothers playing taxi-driver getting their kids to school/playdates/practices/games. Dreading the day that I would have to do the same.
- College Educated. Two degrees and twelve years to pay off the debt from getting them.
- Home Owner. Actually a 30-year mortgage owner with little true equity.
- Church Member. Worship service attendee. Sunday school teacher. MOPS leader. Women’s group leader. Bible study facilitator. All at the same time. Where was Jesus in that?
- 401K Retirement Contributor: Until 9/11, when the company downsized and Mike lost his corporate job.
I became discontented. And depressed. I wanted to wake up from this American Dream.
Act 2
And I did wake up. It just took several years.
In 2010 we decided to leave suburbia to see what else was out there. What we found was a life that went completely off-script. The perfect fit. A chance to re-define our American Dream. And ourselves.
- I was still a wife, riding the ups and down of life with my best friend and business partner.
- I was a homeschooling mother, although my role shifted from full-out teacher to facilitator.
- I was a self-led learner - starting (another) business, assisting my children to become adults, redefining who I am.
- I was a host - welcoming people into my home with ease, without running around to clean or stressing about what to feed them.
- I was a relationship-driven Christian - trading church attendance for seeking Jesus in relationships with people that God brings into my life.
- A life-long worker with no plans to retire.
But after several years, the off-script life had a few expected and unexpected twists.
Act 3
- Harrison, our older, moved out of our traveling home and into suburbia.
- Our truck needed a very expensive repair.
- We sold the 5th wheel and purchased a Class B Van.
- Miranda, our younger, moved out of our traveling home and into suburbia.
- God decided the timing was right to shake up our empty nest, causing Mike and me to pursue Jesus on our own pathways.
- Mike and I moved back into the Class B, with God as our GPS.
- We are feeling called to into ministry, but not for 12-18 months.
- We decided to close our business and sell off DitchingSuburbia.com in order to “clear the fields” to prepare for ministry.
I used to end my bio with “Continuing to live my life. Unscripted.”
Now I am living a life—not un-scripted - but, scripted by God.