room on the couch

I've spent a lot of time on our couch recently. When I'm sick, I don't like to spend the day in bed...too far from the kitchen... DVD player is in the living room... I hate the term bedridden (too hard to say the d-r-d-combination)...etc.

Fortunately, Josh makes really great nests on the couch for me (even though he insists on calling them "forts"). Just the right number of blankets, pillows propped up just like I like them, easy access to the remote control, Kleenex and Sprite nearby. But I'm better now, and the couch is less of a nest/fort and more of a dining room table/movie theatre.

Yesterday when we were trying to decide what to do for the evening, Josh was wishing that his family lived closer than North Carolina, because it would be nice to just go sit on someone else's couch for a while.

We ended up hanging out with Cameron and Sharla. Usually when we get together, we play some kind of "plot to destroy eachother" game like Settlers of Catan or poker, but we were all pretty tired after a long week, so we ended up just drinking (coffee for the girls, beer for the boys, chocolate milk for the kiddos) and chatting.

What did we talk about? I don't even really remember now...plans for our new small group, their joys and challenges of parenting Caleb and Kiersten, spiritual warfare, my job interview, quirky habits of our pets, why men wouldn't take a wingman to go lingerie shopping for their wives... you know, just stuff.

And you know what? It was great to sit on someone else's couch. Josh and I love to spend time just the two of us, and we enjoy going exciting places and learning and serving and adventuring and playing, but sometimes we just need to sit and be with our loved ones. It's like a time to recharge our fellowship batteries, resting comfortably and restoring our strength with the family of God.

So thanks, Cam and Shar, for making room for us on your couch and in your life.