Forget the White Couch

BY : SAM BORING

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“And I picked this oil to remind you to keep stopping to smell the jasmine! Sit in the sun, nap on the couch, play. May this be the beginning of a season of laughter & joy & letting yourself go for all the right things!” -Anna’s goodbye note

Two years ago, I received a Facebook message from SaraBeth, an acquaintance I knew through a mutual friend, who reached out asking if her little sister, Anna, could connect. She was a traveling nurse on her first rotation, leaving family and their hometown, headed to Beaufort, and knew “NO ONE”. As a favor, I reached out. I offered resources and things to do in the area but never in a million years thinking these
strangers would become forever friends. Scratch that, family.

I will never forget the first time I met Anna, Dakota, and their three littles. We were hosting an event at a local store and they stopped by to formally introduce themselves as they had landed in Beaufort! I sensed their authenticity immediately. One of the kids had a total meltdown and they left abruptly, but I recall saying to my husband, “I really like them. Like, I think we could even hang out. They just really have their hands full!” Turns out their hands and hearts were full. And soon, ours would be too.

Shortly after our introduction, I touched base with Anna just to ensure the transition was going well and she confirmed they were settling in, but the family was sick. I offered my help, and she immediately took me up on it! Whoa, I thought. That was cool but not the response I expected. For me, this locked it in. Anna was as raw and real as they came, and I saw so much strength in her vulnerability. While still somewhat of a stranger, I wasn’t used to her kind and still in awe of her response, I wanted to lean in more to this way of living. This neighbor-like type of love was rewarding. A porch drop off was the least I could do, and I asked God for more fulfillment like this.

God took my prayer literally and gave us the opportunity to do just that – become neighbors. Upon Anna extending her rotation in Lowcountry, they had to leave the home they were renting and find somewhere new to live for the next six months. Coincidentally (just kidding – I do not believe in coincidence), my husband and I had been rehabbing a house across the street, preparing to rent. We transformed it into a coastal oasis, the type you see in the magazines! Everything was brand new. Everything untouched. Everything white… including the cozy couch that we spent way too much money on but was such a focal point and was slip covered to help in these situations, right? I could only hope.

Upon MUCH consideration, we agreed that having our house rented over the holidays to a family with young kids could be fun. Our street could use some liveliness and so could we. But the perfectionist in me could not get over the thought of having three small kids (under the age of four) as the break in family for this brand-spankin-new house that was perfectly staged for the gram! I had dreams about the couch being covered in stains. I asked my husband 100x (literally), “Do you think this is the right decision? Am I overthinking this?” I even reconnected with the designer who assured me the couch would be fine as she had children and pets and hers cleaned up nicely! Cleaned up? Just the thought of having to clean it made my stomach turn. But how could I turn them down? After all, I prayed to learn more about this messy, genuine, faithful life they led so gracefully despite the chaos!

Immediately, Anna posted about their first night in the home and how grateful they were to make new memories in a new house. “…& the resilience of these kiddos. They’ve faced change after change in the last 4 months and yes there have been a lot of tears & there has also been a whole lot of laughter & growth. I’m so proud of them” …as the kids jumped on the bed! Next post, “Rest in the form of a dream of a couch…” with coffee in hand! Ha, God really has a sense of humor, doesn’t He?

Without even realizing it, He broke down every barrier in my heart with laughter. He filled every fear with a tiny face waiting at the front window just to wave hi as I pulled into the driveway. He reminded me the importance of play as the kids would run barefoot across the street to gift me another colorful picture to hang on my fridge. He would strip away everything going badly in my life with an ‘Anna embrace’ that reminded me He is always with me. He would fill my home with joy again even as despair lurked around every corner as sweet Harper, unknowingly, found her love to worship Jesus in my living room and sang Phil Whickham at the top of her lungs every chance she got. This family loved my family HARD. They prayed for us when we needed it most. They rejoiced with us when we began new opportunities. They cried with us, they walked with us, they were there for us in a season we so desperately needed the healing only they could provide by being EXACTLY who God called them to be and where He called them to be. From strangers, to friends, to neighbors, now family. Our bond, undeniable and our commitment to each other’s families, unbreakable.

Fast forward, one year later…I just walked inside from letting the sun hit my face, debating a midday nap on my couch, and giddy with excitement because the jasmine is preparing to bloom. Tears of gratitude fill my eyes as I reflect on the season that God gifted us with the Booths as our neighbors. It was brief but life-changing. Occasionally, I look across the street and envision three precious faces staring back at
me. Fingerprint covered windows, a white couch that offered comfort, a rental that became a home, and a family that I am eternally grateful for all serve as reminders to live FULLY in the season which God has placed me. Invest. Cultivate. Grow…and GO. In the words of Anna, “Jesus provided abundantly when He placed us right here!” He is creative and He is gracious. The Booths are living proof of this.

Forget the white couch. Friendship in faith is where the real magic happens!