Embracing the Journey

We may not know what the future holds, but we worship the God who does.

This past week has been extra busy for me. My hubby and I are moving back to my hometown to be closer to my parents. My last day at my job was last Friday and I will start a new job in June. We have been cleaning out our house of eighteen plus years which has been bittersweet. My kids grew up in this house and it’s filled with wonderful memories. It was such a blessing to have it when they both were sent home from college due to Covid. We all worked from home that spring and into summer and I’ll have to admit, I will always treasure the extra time I got to spend with them.

But, with two college graduates, our house now feels too big.

My hubby and I have known for some time that we would like to downsize and live more simply. I was flipping through one of my journals a couple of weeks ago and saw that on New Year’s Day 2020, I wrote about wanting to live more simply and have a big garden to help us live more independently.

Honestly, the entry filled me with tears of gratitude. I had forgotten all about the little seed that God had planted in my heart well before we had ever even heard of Covid. My desire grew more intensely during the pandemic, but that wasn’t where it was born. I had no idea what was coming, but God did and He was busy preparing.

I had no idea that the sleepy little rural town where we raised our kiddos would be overrun with growth due to the pandemic or that builders from out of town would aspire to build a house on every available strip of grass, but God knew. He knew about the extra traffic. He knew we would be ready for a slower pace and He prepared a way.

I had no idea that my hubby and I would both feel called to move and to start our next chapter in a new town, but God knew and He prepared both of our hearts.

It’s hard not to be a little nostalgic as I sort through old boxes filled with toys and my children’s art. I am so very thankful for God’s blessings on our story up until this point, but since He has called us somewhere else, my faith tells me that He is still working and writing new chapters for us. My job is to pray, trust, listen and follow His lead.

My Daddy has helped us plant the big garden I wrote about three years ago. We already have tiny tomatoes and squash. Daddy grew up farming and his skills are really appreciated now. God was preparing him too.

I pray for the new family who will live in this house. I pray that they will make beautiful memories and when I am tempted to look backwards instead of forwards, I pray that God will remind me that we are all travelers here and that as long as I am on this side of eternity, my story is still in progress and so is yours. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂