Looking back, it seems we are supposed to be exactly where we are. The apartment where we live came available for us within two weeks after our return to Michigan, and within three days after we first learned of it. We were told that most people were waiting up to a year for some place like ours. I don’t believe in coincidences but I do believe in Providence.

To add to the amazement of it all, we live in a place we had never even considered but have come to like very much (we’re still learning to love it).. Our plan was to return to Cadillac, and we ended up in a little town called McBain. It is the smallest town that we have ever called home, close enough to Cadillac for any major shopping or visiting friends but far enough away to be pleasantly less hectic.

It’s taken a little adjustment in our thinking, because the temptation is to think we have to drive several miles to find groceries or any other goods. What I’ve discovered is our town is delightfully self-contained depending on your needs. There is an Amish store much closer that has most of the food items one could need. Main Street has a bank, post office, hardware store, coffee shop, pharmacy and ice cream shop all within one block. There are two gas stations at the four-way stop. Conceivably, we could obtain everything we need either in town or by delivery such as Amazon and never have to drive more than a couple of blocks.

When we do go to Cadillac, the drive is through rolling farmlands, with cattle, horses and milk cows. The corn is getting ready for harvest, with ears showing on the stalks. There are wind turbines stretched across the land like giants. It is a relaxing, refreshing drive that we enjoy making when we go.

For me, this is a gift. All my life has been spent living in large cities or towns of moderate size where the traffic never seems to cease, where there is always some activity, and where life borders on mildly to wildly hectic. I am older now, and life, age and affliction are catching up, and a slower pace is very much appreciated. If you drive through our town close to nightfall, Main Street is free of cars and trucks, everything is closed, and other than some distant traffic the only sound is the train which runs a few yards from our apartment at different times of the day and night.

It’s a delight to sit in my chair and watch the flock of sparrows on our back patio as they search for seeds, with occasional visits from a chipmunk and toad as well. One of the sparrows, a curious little guy, likes to peer in our doorwall and would probably come in if it were open.

It feels like a perfect fit for where we are in life. A comfortable home, the blessings of God’s creation to enjoy out our windows, and a pace that we can enjoy. It truly has been a case of coming home.