Random thoughts on a rainy day...

Today is the first of what is supposed to be many rainy days in a row for us here in Boston. I find that I get excited about having rain in the summer in Boston as it keeps the temperature lower so that you can keep the windows open and the air conditioner off (that is unless it is a blowing rain and you then have to shut all the windows). Jeremy has started work this week, so he's busy with that during the day. He has a cubicle with a huge window that overlooks Boston Harbor. He works in the new "Seaport" area which is supposed to be the up and coming area of development in Boston. It really is quite pretty. So when he's taking a break, you'd find his face peering out the window at the navy ships, cruise boats, and airplanes. Me, I'm working about 10 hours a week watching kids for a stay at home mom so that she can go run her "errands." I make more doing this than I could working 20 hours/wk in retail. I have accepted an internship next year working in a long-term nursing and short term acute transitional facility called Deutches Altenheim. I'm excited about the change of pace that working with the elderly will give me. Plus, I'll be able to learn loads about medical charts, medications, post surgery rehab, etc.... which was a goal of mine and will hopefully serve me well as I move towards eventually working in a hospital.

Since I had some time I thought I'd write out a bit of what I've been thinking about lately. I think it will benefit me to write it out, and well for those who do keep up, you can either read it or stop reading and wait for a more light-hearted post.

I've been thinking a lot lately about a lot of things about Boston, what I believe, challenging things about this culture and refreshing things about this culture. I'll start with what I find is refreshing about the culture up here as I think that there is much that Christians and southerners alike could learn from the general goings-on. First, I am challenged by the kindness of Bostonians. I know that as a whole people up here aren't noted for this, but I'm really beginning to think that perhaps, people are just misunderstood or that a few bad apples ruins the whole bunch. First, there is our neighbor from Belarus who is always going out of her way to be kind to us, and generous (hello, she gave us and A/C). Every time I talk to her she remembers to inquire about Jeremy's and my job situation. She is genuinely concerned and her kind words were so encouraging in the time that we were without a job. She also remembers to ask about our family, our dogs, and any other thing that might have been mentioned in a previous conversation. I don't think I could ever stop listing the amount of times in the past that I haven't been very attentive in a conversation, or even worse is times that I tell someone that I'll pray about something for them and then don't or I forget. May Christ develop me into the type of person that is always genuine and interested and attentive.

Then, the other day, Jeremy and I were out to eat with his parents and Jeremy's brother's girlfriend's parents (randomly also in Boston). The girlfriend's parents have a adult son with CP (Josh), and he was also along for the vacation. We went to this famous whole in the wall seafood restaurant, and the waitress and and the restaurant owner went out of their way to treat Josh with dignity, honor, and really invested in him and in us as a group. I felt ministered to by their extreme kindness.

And for the large part, although, people as a whole do keep to themselves, they are hard-working, helpful, accepting of who you are as a person, and part of keeping to themselves is that gossip really not near the issue it was in the South. There were times that when I left the suite at work in Texas that I knew that I was being talked about because of what I wore, when I came into work that day, who I associated with, or that heaven-forbid, I actually asked my secretary to help me in a way that wasn't expressely written in her job title. And sadly, I'd say that over 75% of my co-workers in Texas considered themselves to be regularly practicing church-going Christians! These things challenge and convict me. I find that all of these issues find their way into my life, and for this I'm sad. I'm challenged to be a better reflection of Christ to those around me.

With that, I do find that it is challenging to truly integrate into the culture of those who live here. While accepting and kind, Southerners are from what I've seen so far, seen as close-minded, conservative, and Christian. On the second day of work, one of Jeremy's co-workers out of the blue said, "You'll need to learn that we just aren't conservative up here." Because of this, I feel that we're kept at a superfical surface level, at arms length distance away. I know that this just takes time and investment, and for that I ask for prayer that we would be persistent, continually attentive, sensitive, open-minded, and yet still true to our Savior.