Change of scenery, saying good bye to old friends, renewing family ties, and starting new

Change of scenery, saying good bye to old friends, renewing family ties, and starting new….that would sum up the last month! There have been times of laughter and certainly excitement of new things but also hard things….stranger encounters with teachers at school; walking through hallways and not knowing any of the other students; piles and piles of snow, that you lack the time to shovel; facing the mounds of boxes; waiting for delivery of appliances- alas having no stove…we press on. I sat with my coffee and realized that ours is to seek God, asking Him to take us by the hand. He certainly has been in the details of this move. I wanted to reflect on the various ways that the Lord has directed us and confirmed our being here in a new place.

• Everyone in our family said, “that is the house”, when viewing the property on the internet
• I gave the realtor a very specific criterion: house with room for guests; 5 mins to town; close to the university; in the school district for the high school that we wanted our daughter in; space to walk, ride, and bike; near water- in fact, I wanted a creek or water access; outbuildings for horses and other outdoor activities; and a century home. This place has all that!
• When I was looking at properties, I realized that 5 years ago, I had driven past this place. My thought at the time, “I would love to live there”. It wasn’t for sale at the time.
• We’re close to family. Sophia said, “Now I can go to Grandma’s house like my friends used to talk about. She is 45 mins away, as is, Cynthia’s brother and his family.
• The day that I was looking at properties, I met with one of the local pastors who I had met before and there I met folks who were involved in local discipleship and outreach to the poor and youth at risk.
• The day after we got here, my daughter, who loves working with kids and horses, met a couple of key people and stopped in at a cattle penning competition.
• As I sought contacts in the city for my work with combating Human Trafficking, I was told the names of the people. What a great surprise! I know them and in fact lived in their home as I went to University, years ago. They were instrumental in my formative years at University.
• The list goes on…know that God is with us. It does not make things easy but you are never alone and do not need to reply on your own strength!