Moving: Clinging to God's Promises

Moving. Ugh. It happens to all of us – some more often than others. Growing up my dad was in the Navy, so we moved every three to five years. We were the “lucky” ones who lived mostly on the same coast, but no matter the distance or the noble cause, it is hard for a second grader to understand the goodness of leaving her home, best friends, church, school, and all that she knows because Dad has to report to a new boss. Perhaps I still have some unresolved issues from my childhood trauma, but I encourage you to honor the servicemen and women you know, for they and their families have sacrificed quite a bit for the freedom that we all enjoy in this land.

Well, this summer my husband and I are again in transition. Last year we moved into our first place, and this summer we are moving to a new one. It is bitter sweet saying goodbye to so many memories, to so many firsts. Our studio is small, but it has been our home, and for that reason, I shall always cherish it. I am doing okay today, but it is hard to pack up our belongings and see them all sitting in boxes, our lovely dishes wrapped in newspaper and sitting in a storage unit while we eat off paper plates. So many of our friends and family bought us furnishings for our home and it is hard to pack them away for a few months. I am hoping that it feels like our wedding shower all over again, when I open the boxes in August!

In the midst of the struggle, we are seeking to count our blessings. We are just starting off, so we do not have a three bedroom house worth of furniture and stuff to load and move. We have time to get it all organized, so although it is hard, there is not a lot of pressure to complete the task in only a day or two. We have family and friends who are helping as they can, so we are not in it all on our own.

Clint will be at Notre Dame for the summer, so I will be a “summer widow,” living with a very hospitable family here in Brea. It will be hard for both of us, having our unique challenges – I will be living “normal” life without him and living in someone else’s home, and he will be away from family and friends, seeking to focus and do some challenging academic work. It is hard to see how this time apart could be good or part of God’s plan, and some days are more emotional than others. I am excited that we will have a few days together in the middle of the summer to celebrate our anniversary in Chicago! His parents will even be able to join us for a few days and we might meet up with some friends who have moved to Illinois. I am praying for faith and trustfulness.

Clint encouraged me with this prayer today from the Book of Common Prayer:

O MOST loving Father, who willest us to give thanks for all things, to dread nothing but the loss of thee, and to cast all our care on thee, who carest for us; Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which thou hast manifested unto us in thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

We prayed this little prayer last spring throughout premarital counseling when we did not know if he would have a job or not. We prayed it again last summer when wedding planning was at its craziest, and now we pray it again while we are anticipating being apart. God has certainly provided for our needs in the past, so we continue to pray and to cling to His promise to watch over us in the days ahead.