This Old House

Well, it's official! We have a contract on our house and a close date for December 1st. The buyer is going to let us lease from her through the month of December so we don't have to move out for the holidays. What a gift, especially with a one year old! The house on Grand is also still looking good. We have filed to take the contingency off of the contract, and our close date will be January 31st. This means we'll have to live with my parents for about a month before we move in, but we're just thankful that we didn't end up losing the deal altogether.

God has been so faithful to work out all the details of this move. From the moment we started praying about this decision, things have fallen into place, and doors have flown open. While I am sad (very sad actually) to leave friends here, I feel confident that God directed us, and He is in control.

Lately, I have been having such bittersweet feelings as I start think about packing up this house, and making preparations to leave my job at church. There are so many wonderful people here that I cannot imagine my daily life without, and yet, I have faith that God will continue to bless these relationships while providing new ones in Abilene.

One more quick note-- Interestingly, after all of this prayer about the move and confirmation with our house selling, and jobs falling into place, Chad was offered a job today that would allow him to make considerably more money than we'll be making in Abilene. We could pay off grad school and cars. I could quit working. We could go on a vacation! Why now? Why was this option thrown into the mix? (I am so thankful for my wise, unselfish husband who was quickly able to say, "Not interested. This is not part of God's plan for us right now.") I guess I tend to be more selfish in nature because I had to evaluate things before I was able to come to that conclusion.

As I was thinking, I was reminded of a verse that I read on the same night we showed our house to the person who is now buying it. It's from Luke, the Parable of the Sower, a story I've heard countless times. But as I reread this scripture, one verse stood out to me: The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature. Luke 8:14 I had always remembered the seed that fell on the path and rejected God, and the seed that fell on the rock which turned away from God in a time of testing. But this seed in verse 14 grew distracted by worry, money and the comforts of life and simply failed to grow! This caught me because these are my struggles-- worry, money, the comforts of life!

I realized that I don't want to get distracted by the possibility of more money and miss what God has in store for us when we follow his leading. I don't want to be that seed! But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Luke 8:15
My prayer is that we, as a family, produce a crop in Abilene and wherever else the Lord might lead us. . .