We have moved out of our house. This is real.
We have officially crossed into the point of no return. We have been asked a lot lately, "Aren't you scared?" or my favorite "I could NEVER do that." Which I don't really know what to do with!
Truth is, I'm not scared. Joel has also told me he isn't scared.
I believe the best word to describe my feelings is overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed by the amount of work it took to sell almost everything we own.
Overwhelmed by the kindness of those who have helped us over and over again. Overwhelmed by the depth of the relationships that we have established in the 10 years we have been in Georgia.
Overwhelmed by the decisions that have to be made. Every single thing we picked up had to have direction...trash, give, or take. Do we REALLY need this?
Overwhelmed by God's goodness to us in every single step of faith we have taken. Overwhelmed by the amount of love and support from our church family.
Overwhelmed by the closeness and love for our neighbors.
In a previous post I talked about the surrendering of our lives to God. How important it was/is to lean so far into God's plan that if He isn't in it we fall flat on our face. THAT is actually an amazing place to be. I am experiencing faith in a fresh and invigorating place.
There is a passage of scripture that continued to surface over the past couple weeks. Jesus tells his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24
The truth is, it is hard. It has been hard, and will continue to be hard as we step into what God has called us to do. But there was no promise it would be easy. In fact, we know that following Jesus and carrying a cross is not this pretty, fluffy metaphor. It is painful. It hurts to say goodbye to the people you love. It hurts to not know when you will see someone again. And it isn't fun to leave the best neighbors/neighborhood we have every been a part of. It sucks! We cry and we mourn this loss. It is a terrible loss to not have my girlfriends. It is sad to see two of our daughters lose their "BFF"s (as they call them). Joel worked tirelessly over 10 years to establish his business and clientelle. Selling and leaving a business he has nurtured has been difficult!
So why do it?
We do it out of obedience. You see, we teach our kids that it is important to obey even if they don't understand why. When one of them is running into the street we need them to hear our voice and stop immediately without an explanation. This has been a great test of obedience for us as a couple and as a family.
The girls have asked us quite a few times in the last week or so, "But why do we have to leave Georgia?" We ask them to tell us the story of Jonah and what happened when God told him to go to Niniveh and he didn't go. Jonah suffered so much as a result of disobedience. We don't want to be outside of God's call. It all goes back to obedience.
And the cool thing is that although it is and has been hard, we have still experienced so much love, grace, and witnessed God-sized miracles as we prepare to go. He is clearing the path for us, and we are overwhelmed by His goodness and plan. It isn't scary, it is overwhelming in a completely new and refreshing way.