Two Green Aprons

For the past several months my family has been in the midst of transition - and with it chaos and pain. Eight months ago we left what many considered a dream job and traded one dream for another as we entered the Orthodox Church - our true spiritual home. We moved across states and returned to living in just under 700 sq feet as a family of four and baby three on the way this summer. We've balanced a crazy schedule and nearly seen our family implode as a result of schedules that kept us from being together and stresses that kept mounting - it has felt like the rugged was pulled out from us at least a half a dozen times as the unexpected and impossible kept happening. My new work was not what we'd expected and I found myself pulled further and further down in discouragement and I was less and less present to my family as I struggled to cope.

Today I did something different. I slept in until 7 am. I ate breakfast with my family. I did a little homework (I'll share more shortly). And then I drove into work and put on a green apron. I have a master's degree in religion, I've worked in a major hospital, helped grow a church and been on the road to what some would deem a successful career. And today I made coffee and cleaned bathrooms and when I was done I felt good about it. And I didn't need to stop at the store on the way home and I was happy when I got home and saw my kids. I have to admit it's a little humbling to walk away and make a little over $8 an hour making people coffee at Starbucks. But sometimes we all need to do something different.

One thing Stephanie and I are convinced of is that we're better together and we haven't been together for awhile because of too many other things getting in the way. I'll be present with my family now. We've also been learning to do with less in terms of space and stuff - and it's been good. I've recently begun studying online at the Russian Orthodox Seminary and while there's no promise I'll return to the priesthood if I do I'll have to earn an honest living using my own hands - and I kind of enjoy selling coffee and hearing about their day.

I believe we are given time on earth to learn to repent - that is to turn away from ourselves and turn to the healing mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. This always means humility and obedience, which our Lady the Theotokos Mary so beautifully teaches us in her complete surrender of self to the Divine. My hope is that I continue to learn how to repent and that in each small turn away from myself I slowly align my entire life with the life of Christ.

We're a two green apron household right now as Stephanie and I will both be serving people coffee and hearing about their lives. And in the meantime we're building a family and it won't be glamorous, but we pray it will be filled with love and God-honoring.