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Sep. 20, 2007
Moving to our Homestead ... at last!
Today my husband is having a training day at his new job. He's meeting with the outgoing person, since this person's last day is tomorrow and Steve does not start until October 1. He took a day off from his current job to go train.
I got up early with him to fix his coffee, and see him out the door. While he showered, I read my Bible, and I was drawn to offering him the same 2 verses I read to him when he was starting his current job 6.5 years ago. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6 and "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9.
We've been so thankful that God has been helping Steve wake earlier, and the children and I to fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier. We're working on changing our family's sleep schedules so this job will be easier for Steve, and our family. I don't usually get up with Steve. I'm so glad I did today, and that God reminded me of those verses, so I could bless him by reading them to him again.
6.5 years ago, he was nervous about leaving his job at a Christian University to step out into a secular job. It was a change, and God gave me those verses to encourage him with. Now, he is leaving the familiar once again ... not just in his career ... but also for where we live. We have lived here in this area for half our lives, to be honest, and in this particular house for 3/4 of our marriage. Four of our children were born while living here, and two of them were actually born in this house.
But God is leading us into a new job, a new community, and a new home. He is fulfilling the desires of our heart, to move to a rural area, to live on Steve's family homestead. We are incredibly thankful, and yet, also nervous. It is encouraging to remember that God is going with us. He will not leave us, nor forsake us.
Our Pastor unwittingly was the bearer of encouraging words as we pondered this change. The Sunday before Steve interviewed for this job, Pastor preached about Abram leaving Haran and setting out for Canaan. His text was Genesis 12:1-9. "The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people, and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." " At the time, I was impressed that God was reminding me that this was God leading our family, and God would go with us. God has blessed our life here, but I believe He was encouraging me that He would continue to bless us in "the new land". Although, Steve didn't get the same thing out of the sermon, since he considers this going TO his father's land, not leaving it. But it's a new land to me. Entirely new.
The week after he was offered the job, as we wrestled with whether to accept it or not, our Pastor again told us to go. He didn't mean to, but he did. This time, his text was 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Our Pastor was addressing the fact that as Christians we often pray for God to open a new opportunity, or a new direction for us ... but then when He does, we are too afraid to take it. If we pray for God to do that, we need to stay in His Word, stay close to Him, and keep praying ... so we'll have the faith and strength to follow His leading. We were wrestling with fears and "what ifs" that weekend, and God used our Pastor to encourage us to trust Him.
I jokingly told Steve our Pastor didn't know it, but he was telling us to GO!! GET OUT OF HERE!! JUST DO IT!! When Steve talked to the Pastor about us moving, he made certain to let Steve know that was not the message he had wanted us to hear. LOL! But it was the message God wanted us to hear.
We're still nervous. Still worried about the details of moving a family of 8 who has been settled in this house for ten years ... and struggle with being clutterbugs. I'm trying not to think of how many books our home library holds ... or all the nooks and crannies we've filled in ten years. Steve's more worried about the transition between the two jobs and a paycheck coming a week later than usual, and the gas costs involved in moving, etc.
But God has been telling us to trust Him ... to be strong and courageous. And I'm just clinging to His promises ... that He will continue to make a way. God has made a way, where there seemed to be no way ... and I believe He will continue to do so.
That song makes me cry even more now ... because when the family farmhouse was going to be sold, we longed to buy it and didn't know how we possibly could. God provided extra work for Steve so we could buy it nearly 2.5 years ago. Then that work ended last year and we've felt increasing pressure to move out there and get away from the financial burden of two homes ... but work (especially good-paying work) is hard to find out there ... and God has once again made a way for us to have our heart's desire.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord!
Blessings,
April
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