I moved to Charleston exactly 6 months ago.

I was so ready to have it all together – which at the time I thought looked like creating the cutest content, romanticizing my life, and proving to (mostly myself) that I heard the Lord right.

But instead?

I was lonely.

Burnt out.

and humbled daily.

I expected that as soon as I moved would be the moment everything clicked.

The habits would form.

The joy would overflow.

and the dreams would follow.

I mean… this was the answered prayer, right?

I asked the Lord, “what do I need to do and what do I need to know?” and His answer led me to Charleston to learn the slow, steady pace of the Good Shepherd.

So I moved.

What I didn’t realize was that the move wasn’t the answer – it was the obedience that started sanctification.

These journal entries show what that process looked like for me – month by month, documenting all the little ways the Lord was shaping my heart, in ways that month-one me could never have expected.

Month One.

Charleston Journal Entry | June 20–July 20

My first month in Charleston was nothing short of a whirlwind. So many blessings, so much goodness – but so much change, so fast! My parents and I loaded up the transit van and moved me to a city I had never even been to before.

I think my biggest fear in moving was losing my people. I’ve been blessed with the best community – why would I leave it? Was I selfish? Wrong? So many fears and doubts wandered in and out. But then I’m reminded of why I moved and who called me here.

The first month was hard, harder than I ever expected. I endured more change at one time than I probably ever will again: a breakup, quitting a job I’d been at for seven years, moving out of the cottage, best friends getting married, passing down in my club, graduating college, leaving my hometown, moving somewhere site unseen, and starting a new job – all within a few short weeks.

My overly sentimental heart struggled to adjust. How do you properly say goodbye to some of your favorite seasons? How do you navigate so much change and remain steady? How do you even budget?!

So much, all at once. And yet, in the midst of it all, the Lord provided – financially, through His people, and by working it all together for His good.

Obedience can feel like Whiplash: This month taught me that obedience doesn’t always look steady – it feels disruptive. But God doesn’t waste disruption. He met me in the overwhelm and reminded me that provision doesn’t mean absence of fear; it means presence in it.

Month Two.

Charleston Journal Entry | July 20–August 20

My second month in Charleston, I spent a total of 18 days out of town. I was exhausted, burnt out, and unsettled. I hadn’t really made South Carolina a home – I was always gone, and when I was here, I was preparing to leave again.

That hurt more than I expected.

I was trying to remain grateful, because goodness, I am – but also allowing myself to grieve. Allowing both to coexist. Allowing the reality of how hard this truly is to be reality.

This was the month I started being more honest about the adjustment. It all looks so fun, cute, “the dream” from the outside, but how do you post about the in-between moments? How do I keep it real? The crying phone calls to Mom and Dad. Not knowing how you’ll pay your bills. Trying to stay awake on yet another drive home.

Still, there was so much goodness. I will never not let praise be what comes out of my mouth first thing. I started practicing saying:

“I’m so thankful for this season and these opportunities – but it’s hard, a lot harder than I expected, and I’m still adjusting.”

Grateful and Grieving Can Coexist: This month taught me that gratitude doesn’t cancel grief. Pretending it’s easy doesn’t make it holy. God met me when I finally told the truth about how hard it was.

Month Three.

Charleston Journal Entry | August 20–September 20

This month began with a more permanent goodbye to my hometown. It was so much harder to actually drive back to Charleston than I expected. I kept putting it off, staying longer with friends and family. It was hard to leave. It’s been hard to stay.

Why leave a place and community I love so much?

But this month, I had to remind myself that obedience requires sacrifice – and that this is where the Lord has called me.

While the Lord has called me to slowness, this has been the busiest season of my life. The busyness has brought so many solo travel days and six-hour drives where all I could do was sit, reflect, and worship.

The girl who drove home the first time wasn’t the same girl who drove back the last. Each trip carried a lesson. Each one served a purpose in post-grad, the move, and the change.

This month was so needed. I finally stayed put. I began finding a rhythm. It was very unnatural, but it’s exactly what I prayed for.

I just want to steward this season well. To wait well. To grow into who the Lord has called me to be.

True Stillness: Stillness exposed me, but it also shaped me. Growth didn’t come from doing more; it came from simply being and listening for His still, small voice.

Month Four.

Charleston Journal Entry | September 20–October 20

My favorite month in Charleston yet – and my first full month completely here! I will forever be thankful for this time, as it was so pivotal in this season. I was finally fully here. I settled into new routines and habits. I explored, hosted, and began to feel rooted.

This was the month I started to feel like myself again. I began dreaming with God again. I started to see why the Lord brought me to Charleston. Things finally started to click.

I noticed growth – security, trust, steadiness. I remember telling my best friend about halfway through the month, “I have joy. Like the steady kind. Not based on circumstances – just joy.” And that joy has remained!

What my tears sowed, I’m now reaping in joy. I couldn’t be more thankful.

Joy is a fruit not an emotion: This month reminded me that joy is not based on circumstance but rather comes from abiding to the vine of life. It is something only God grows. Slowly. Quietly. Often after tears. Always after surrender.

Month Five.

Charleston Journal Entry | October 20–November 20

Five whole months in Charleston? I can hardly believe it! The months are flying by, and I love them more and more as time goes on.

This month, things became more real. As I started dreaming with God again and becoming more myself, I realized that now I had to put in the work (slowly and steadily, of course!)

It’s always hard to leave home. It’s comfortable. It’s where I feel fully known and loved. But every time I come back to Charleston, I’m reminded why I’m here.

This month revealed how much work my heart still has to do. Mostly, it showed me that the only good thing about me is Jesus – that’s it. I can’t do anything without Him, His Spirit, and His strength.

I’ve been humbled a lot – at my job, in learning new habits, in starting from scratch. But it’s only good, only worth it, if it’s for Him and by Him.

I spent a lot of time alone this month – more than I ever have. I even spent Halloween alone, which felt so strange. It was the first time not dressing up with my family, and that was harder than I expected.

Still, this month was filled with so much good. I felt more creative. More steady. More humbled – but growing!

Good fruit takes time, and I’m learning to trust the process. Slow and steady wins the good pace!

Lowly Days: This month stripped away my pride and reminded me that sanctification is meant to be a humbling process. It’s quiet obedience. It’s loneliness that forms dependence. It’s learning that growth doesn’t mean feeling strong – it means knowing Who your strength is.

Month Six.

Charleston Journal Entry | November 20–December 20

I don’t know how it’s possible that I’ve lived here for half a year, but here we are – six months! And six months in, I can say I’ll be here longer than I thought.

Somewhere between last month and now, I fell in love with this place. The people. My life here. My friends. All of it. I realized that if I left too soon, I wouldn’t have truly lived here. It took me this long to actually enjoy it – so now, I want to live it!

The Lord taught me a lot this month. One question stuck with me:

“Do you give yourself the same grace you give others – the same grace Jesus gives you?” (a great friend of mine)

After so much unnecessary guilt and shame for “not growing fast enough” or “not progressing,” the Lord gently reminded me: “It’s okay, child.”

His grace is sufficient for me. He is strong. He is good.

This month, I’ve learned I need to take the pressure off myself. To trust that good fruit takes time. To pace the dreams, qualities, and characteristics the Lord has placed on my heart.

It’s a good pace.

It’s sanctification.

And it’s all by His grace.

Grace Changes the Pace: The month that reframed everything. Growth doesn’t come from pressure – it comes from grace. Sanctification isn’t rushed holiness; it’s daily surrender, led by the Spirit, shaped by time.

If you’re reading these journal entries and you are in a similar season, thinking, “I thought I’d be further along by now,”

Welcome friend, I am right there with you.

If you moved, started over, said yes to God, and then wondered why everything didn’t immediately fall into place.

Hey again. I am right there with you.

Six months ago, I thought obedience would be IT! When everything started to fall into place.

Instead, it was just the start of what the Lord had in store.

And looking back at these journal entries, I can confidently say that sanctification is a process. Not by human effort, not hustle, not a perfectly executed routine – but God’s grace at work. It’s the Holy Spirit alive and active inside of us, using the Word, the Church, and His people to shape us into His likeness over time.

Obedience matters, but it’s only the first step.

a move.

a breakup.

a change.

a surrender.

And then comes formation.

So if your life feels messy, unfinished, or still in progress – good!

That is exactly where growth happens.

Here’s what I know now: you don’t need to rush your growth to prove God is working. You don’t need to have it all figured out to be faithful. You don’t need visible fruit to be deeply rooted.

Sanctification looks like being still, waiting and trusting God is working in your over time.

If you’re in a season that feels slow, confusing, or lonely, I hope this reminds you that God does some of His best work there. He’s not in a rush with you. He’s not disappointed in your pace. And He’s not asking you to be anyone other than faithful right where you are.

God isn’t late.

You’re not behind.

Maybe it takes six months.

Maybe longer.

Six months in, I’m learning to trust that slow and steady process – to let grace set the pace. And if I’m different now, I hope it’s not because I’ve tried harder, but because I look a little less like myself and a little more like Jesus.

Good fruit takes time.

And that’s okay!

Hey hey LO fam! My name is Raylee Evans, and it is a JOY to be here with you! I’m a 23-year-old post-grad gal living in Charleston, SC. You can usually find me drinking coffee, creating something, or planning my next trip (or a visit home to see my people!) I work as the Content Coordinator and Bridal Stylist for The White Magnolia, where I get to blend creativity, storytelling, and love for people every day. I also write for my personal blog, Writes by Ray, and keep a camera nearby for capturing moments I never want to forget. I am a multi-passionate gal with a lotta dreams, 27 to be exact! My biggest prayer is that whatever dream I am pursing, that I am spreading His love, His joy, and His truth with everyone I come into contact with. Again, it is a joy to be here so thanks for being apart of one of those 27 dreams!