Hey ya'll, so it's been over a year since I've written on here. I won't go into all the details of this past year, but let's just say it was pretty draining emotionally. God's grace sustains, that is one thing I know to be true more than ever before. Although I know the next chapter will have it's own challenges, and that I'm not exchanging hard for easy. I am really excited though to go where God is leading. It will be a whole new experience to move to a place where I've only met a handful of people. So grateful to be able to do this transition of living on the other side of the Mississipi River with my friend from childhood.
While packing I came across something I've written sometime in the past and decided that maybe now is the time to share it with others. (some edits made while typing it out 😏)
We often think it's a sacrifice to give up our homes and comfortable life here on this earth to go where God is asking us to go. Yet, Jesus gave up Heaven, the ultimate place, His home. He gave up being with His Heavenly Father. Why? So we could be with His Father someday. He didn't give it up just for a day, or week, a month, or even a year or two. He gave it up His entire life. 33 years of not being able to go Home. 33 years of walking on this sinful earth. He became a baby, was born in a stable, became a refugee at a young age, grew up in a small town, all the while He was the Son of God in the flesh. It just amazes me when I think of His deep and incredible love.
He spent years, teaching and preaching. He walked many miles to share the Good News with others, without a place to call home. He was rejected, hated, mocked, scorned, tempted, and despised. He reached out to the least of these. No one was too poor, too hurt, or too sick for Him to touch or care about. He warned the self-righteous, reached out to the sinners, loved both.
He chose 12 disciples who were His close friends. He taught them, prayed for them, revealed Himself to them, only to have one of them betray Him. His friend was going to turn Him in for 30 pieces of silver, yet He still loved. He knew what it was like to be tired, hungry, to feel pain, and lose a loved one.
He loved little children. They were (are) special to Him. So much so, that in order to enter His kingdom, we need to become like them.
JESUS took the sins of the whole world upon His shoulders. So we wouldn't have to bear them any more. On the day He gave up His life, He took our sin, pain, rejection, hurts, fears, broken hearts, and made them His. Now we are free in Him to be the men and women He created us to be. Jesus did this because He loved us. Will you not return that love?
Here are a few pictures of the adventures I had these past few weeks. I had the privilege of being in about 13 states, go camping, return to my NC "home", road trip to Lord willing my new "home", attend my farewell and just spend time with many of the loved ones I have on the East Coast.
Nothing like camping with mosquitoes and in the rain. We certainly made memories! Thankfully the sun came out eventually and God gave us a beautiful rest of the weekend.
The beautiful flight south was well worth the few hours of wearing a mask. Will treasure the memories made that week for years to come. It was such a gift to spend time with dear friends, have some time to rest, enjoy the great outdoors, even in the middle of signing papers.
The beautiful South.
Hey there, Wild West!👇
I best get back to packing. Thank you to all of you who prayed for our safety. It was/is an incredible gift to see how God is leading. Though when I remember that my life is His, that this is what He has for me, I can trust that He will continue to lead and make a way!
Til next time, Lord willing soon to be living in the Wild West =)
