I just moved to Los Angeles, one of the most desirable cities in the US (especially if housing costs are a reflection of desirability), but I wasn’t too excited about moving here.  There are a lot of things I don’t particularly like about LA: I’m not a big-city person in general, I’m confined to a sub-par public transit system here, and some of my past experiences with LA have been less-than-stellar.

Of course, people did inform me of all the good things about living in the LA area, but still, if I am honest, I wasn’t optimistic.  And some of the difficulties of this city — particularly how hard it is to get across the city by transit — are really wearing on me.

But in the midst of that, God is teaching me to be thankful for what I do have.  And a big part of staying appreciative is noticing the unexpected good parts of where I am — because almost anywhere you end up, there’ll be some unexpected good.  In Los Angeles, I have found the skies to be surprisingly beautiful, interesting, and visible.

And then there’s making the most of that good.  I am actually not much of a beach person — I’d take the mountains any day.  And I could complain about that, too, but following Jesus is all about living a better way:

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing” —  Paul of Tarsus (Philippians 2:14)

So, since I’m close to the beach, I’ll do the beach life!