Jealous

Some people want a normal life - an 8-5 job, house, 2 cars, a number of kids, live in the suburbs - or whatever you consider to be "normal." Some people dream big, always changing, and live spontaneously. I'll let you guess which one I am and which one my husband is. We balance each other out.

Before entering this journey of medical school, we discussed what it was going to be like. We tried to predict how hard it would be. One thing that we were right on was how we'd envy our friends who aren't in this journey. It's hard having life goals, plans, time lines, and so on that can't be met and watching other people achieve them. It's hard watching friends buy houses, have babies, new cars, nice vacations, and all things that we can't afford. It's hard to know that we have a very long road ahead of us before we will be there.

Sometimes we need to embrace the season of life that we're in. Embrace being poor, enjoy relying on nothing but each other, have faith. How can you have faith if you have everything?

On the average day, we don't consider God very much. On the average day, we forget that our life is truly vapor. But there is nothing normal about today. Just think about everything that must function properly just for you to survive. For example, your kidneys. The only people who really think about their kidneys are people whose kidneys don't work correctly. The majority of us take for granted our kidneys, liver, lungs, and other internal organs that we're dependent upon to continue living. ... It's crazy that we think today is just a normal day to do whatever we want with. - Francis Chan's Crazy Love

We have been blessed with this time to rely on God. Sometimes waiting patiently makes the gift that much better. And by gift, I mean the opportunity to buy our first home, car, new furniture, and so on.

So although, my life isn't according to my plan, I need to be better about embracing the season of life that we're in. Maybe some day I'll miss it? - a car that can break down at any time, no microwave, using quarters to do our laundry, and being conscious about every $20 we spend. Now granted, we are living below our means and living consciously, as we should. We are learning life lessons that we will use in the future (limited communication, living below our means, relying on God, and so on) and we don't even realize it. Whenever you ask doctors who were married in medical school, they always say their favorite time is when they were poor with their spouses. My parents, too, have told us that if you have to live on rice and beans to make your dreams come true, than do it - You only live once.

You have to give up the life you planned to find the life you have.  Or else, life will pass you by.