Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Are we there yet?!?

It has been ONE. LONG. WEEK. We began last week finishing up packing and cleaning... and on the Tuesday before we moved we had no place to go to, and no job. Then on Wednesday, while taking the car to the shop for an emergency fix Peter got a phone call from our good friend asking "Do you have a house yet?" As it turns out, someone from Greeley, Colorado had moved to Oakland and was having trouble renting his house. After a phone call or two we made arrangements for us to fill out the paperwork as soon as we got to the area. We left on Thursday hopefull and in good spirits. (But, still no job! Eeeek!)

We didn't do much stopping once we hit the road, we were going! At one point, on our first day, we stopped at Wal-Mart to get a roof top carrier for our car. (We were like the McSardine family riding along with all our stuff on our laps! Ha!) Then while Peter put it up and packed it up I put all of our lunch food in a cart. (Bread, crackers, lunch meat... etc.) While I was wheeling it across the parking lot the sudden feeling of being homeless and pushing our things along to nowhere in particular hit me... And Sarah also began to comlain about where she was eating, and how she was eating, and what she was eating, and how much she had... on and on and on! It was awful! Then I noticed a homeless man sitting on the corner of the street, holding a sign, that said "Homeless. Please Help." I was struck by the simple desperation of his cry... and turned to my Young Ones and pointed him out. I explained to them that even though we might not like what we have, we still have. The man on the corner didn't have any food or bed to look forward to, and that he didn't know when he would have anything like string cheese or buttery crackers. I then asked if they thought that since we had extra we might make him a lunch and take it to him? Of course they were excited to share, and I have not heard any more complaints (of that magnitude) since then.

I have been awed and humbled by the beauty of the landscape surrounding us in every moment of this drive. Who could I possibly be, that the Creator would make something as marvelous as Earth... mountains, desert, mesas, ocean... and still he loves ME! He became the atoning sacrifice so I wouldn't have to die. I must really be something special to him... Every day has been a new lesson in life for me. I have really been feeling the gentle (and sometimes painful!) chipping away of flesh... I am being refined. This move has challenged me to the core, and I am grateful to the Lord for pushing me onward, and for shaping my heart... for preparing me for His Great Purpose!

Today I think that Peter and I were both really struggling with being here, and still being nowhere. We took a day off from the road and rested. We visited The Garden of the Gods (another magnificent testimony to the awesomeness of our Savior) But at one point right after nap we were both really wrestling with ourselves... I was reminding myself that the Lord has gone before us, and that he has a plan for work and home... and then Peter's phone rang. It was a school in Aurora calling to schedule an interview! I almost choked, and almost cried, and almost laughed at the absurdity of it all... (Though it is an hour away from where we want to live...) Even though we know that Peter might be one of many interviewing for this job, it reminded us that everything will come to pass. I surrendered myself to Christ once again today...