Proverbs 3:21-26: ²¹ My son, let them not depart from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion, ²² So they will be life to your soul, and adornment to your neck. ²³Then you will walk in your way securely, And your foot will not stumble. ²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. ²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden fear, Nor the onslaught of the wicked when it comes; ²⁶ For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught. (New American Standard Bible.

Don't disturb me with thoughts of change.

 

I Don’t Want to Hear This!

 

Many people are being thrust into an unexpected and unplanned present and future with perhaps little understanding as to how to proceed. While moving outside our comfort zone is often a necessary part of life, it is not necessarily easy.

 Several years ago, I was challenged to make a lifestyle change I didn’t want and that didn’t make sense to me. The good news is, it worked out, but the process was not easy. Because I claim the direction of God, I write this story with caution. Often, sentences such as God spoke to me cause eyebrows to automatically rise, but my telling of this is done with as much authenticity and transparency as I know how to write.

            Ten years ago, I was quieting my mind before starting my morning devotional and prayer time. In the silence a piercing thought “You should sell this place” shattered the peace. While I’ve never been stupid enough to believe that all of my sudden or surprising thoughts are of God, I knew this one was. There is no way to explain this understanding, but it was obvious to me in those moments that He had spoken.

            What? Sell this place? When I had moved in twenty-three years before, my plan was to stay there until I could no longer live alone. Well able to continue on my own I answered, “No, I like my place. I like my friends. I like it here.” So much for faith and trust!

            For the next two years, I hoped the belief that I should sell the place would vanish. Afterall, it didn’t make sense. Why would anyone who had a wonderful support group, no mortgage, and the feeling of safety want to leave. The directive to sell, however, never died.

            Finally, after several years of looking, a woman in my church group mentioned some patio homes. The reality that I’d heard of those places three times, and strangely enough this was the second time in 24 hours, caused me to realize that maybe God wanted me to pay attention. After getting the directions there, I went over and knew immediately that this community was right for me. Though it was outside of my desired zip code area, there was no doubt of His leading. It took a while, but when a home I liked and seemed right for me became available, there was now one question I had to answer. Would I write a contract and ready myself to move or stay in my comfort zone? The pull to stay where I’d lived for 30 years was strong, but as an act of obedience to do what I believed was right, I wrote a contract, and on September 5^th, 2017, moved into my new home.

Even though moving was the right thing for me, I was not spared the reality of grief. My new place was nice, but in my heart, home was where I had lived for thirty years. Walking away from the familiar was hard and making a new place a home has taken time and work.

Thoughts: Though this is a story of my being led to do something that didn’t make sense to me at the time, stepping out in faith was never and should never be synonymous with being reckless which is why I chose the beginning scripture. There are several things that helped me during this seven-year period:

1.    Never did I consider such a move without seeking the wisdom of my Financial Advisor and discussing with him what I could afford and about what I would need to make when I sold my place.

2.    There is no doubt that the constant prayer, not my will, but Thine be done, kept me out of trouble. It was hard to keep my eyes on the community that I believed was right for me when nothing there was on the market, so I kept looking in other places. There was one brief consideration of a townhouse/condo, and then several months later, a townhouse which was okay and close to where I lived became available. Because of problems found in the inspection, I decided not to buy it and opted out of the contract. Two days later I saw on the Internet that there was an open house in the original community I knew was right for me. This was the house I’d been looking and waiting for during the seven-year process.

3.    Where I lived before was a huge part of my life and it will always be special to me, as well as the friends I made there. That will never change.

4.    GOD IS FAITHFUL AND KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING: I am reminded of the second part of the scripture from Psalm 30:5 ---weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. While grieving was a part of the process, joy followed. I have no regrets for walking this difficult path. My house has now become not just a house, but my home, a source of joy, peace, and comfort.

5.    My heart has been expanded to treasure the past, appreciate more areas of Houston, and live with joy and expectation of the present. God is good!