Power Packing and Goodbyes
There’s nothing more motivating in the process of moving than discovering your moving date has been moved up by 8 days. It actually works out so much better for our schedule, but it sure has picked up the pace around here. My careful box marking process isn’t quite so detailed anymore!:)
It seems each hour the house feels a little more naked. There are bare walls, bare rooms, and the bathroom is decorated with a single extra roll of toilet paper. In only 5 days, the moving truck will be parked outside the door.
A few days ago the “goodbyes” of this move hit me. Friends have asked if I’m sad or excited.
Yes and yes.
I’ve never been a fan of good-byes, and this is a big one. It rips my heart out to say good-bye to this community that we’ve lived for almost 24 years.
But in pondering the bigger picture, I realize that I will always carry a big part of this place in my heart. It’s where we brought all our little baby boys home from the hospital when they were born,
where we met and worked alongside some of the most amazing people we’ve ever known,
and where we’ve watched kids come as little campers, then teenagers, then young marrieds, and now are sending their own kids!
I count it an amazing privilege to have been a part of this place and ministry that has been so personally life changing for me. It’s part of my story, and was used to grow and shape me into who I am today.
Long ago I learned to cope with the agony of good-bye by realizing that good-byes are usually more of “see you later”s, and this is no different. The truth is, no matter where we go from here, this place will always be a big part of our memories.
And now that we are surrounded by piles of boxes, I’m so very excited at the thought of unpacking them and making our family’s next living space feel like “home”. Ahh….that’s one of my most favorite things in all the world.
This afternoon as we were toodling down the road on our way to an appointment, we heard this song for the first time. We thought it was the perfect song for this stage in our life.
{Casting Crowns – Dream for You}
“So come on, let Me dream, let Me dream for you
I am strong when you’re weak and I’ll carry you
So let go of your plan, be caught by My hand
I’ll show you what I can do
When I dream for you
I have a dream for you…
My child, if you only knew
All the plans that I have for you
Just trust me, I will follow through
You can follow Me”
As we continue to trust God to guide our next steps, we are looking forward with excitement and anticipation to seeing His dream for us unfold…
{Only a few more days and I’ll be able to give you a tour of the place we’ll soon call “home”!}
Update: Tour Our Homes
This blog was started when we lived in a farmhouse by the sea.
You can see the house we moved to room by room in this rental house category.
Then, 6 months later, we moved into the current townhouse we now live in.
It was a big change! You can find our tips for downsizing here.
And, now, (7 years after this post was published), we are so grateful for the place and jobs that God led us to. It really is abudantly above what we could have dreamed ourselves!
A well-written reflection, Rita! Big hugs!
Beautiful memories for you! I’m excited for you as you begin a new “page” of the story God is writing of your life!
What a great attitude, my friend. Yes, it is SO true. He holds your future and we look forward, with you, to all that is ahead for you guys.
“Goodbyes” are always the hardest part of moving away! Not the packing and organizing of the move… but leaving your friends that you had on this place, who made your life so wonderful at this place! I wish you all the best! New places bring new friends!