The Promised Land

Have you ever had the experience of feeling like you were right exactly where you were supposed to be? That all the events in your recent past had been working together to bring you to your present spot? "Promised land" might be a bit dramatic to describe this feeling, but I couldn't think of a better one.

We have been in our new house in Oregon for a week now. We had such an interesting and exhausting house hunt. Chris and I were in the process of buying another house, and I actually felt sick to my stomach every time we went there. It made sense financially to buy it, and there were things we felt good about there. So why did I always feel so sick? We went to see it one last time before going back up to Washington. Afterwards, we drove around really discouraged and frustrated with each other, and this whole move. We drove to another house we had considered and sat out front for a few minutes. Chris told me later he was really mad that I couldn't be happy with the house we were buying. He drove over to another house for sale around the corner that he remembered driving by before. As soon as we pulled up, everything started feeling like it fell into place. We met two of the neighbor families, and felt completely embraced into a very loving and fun neighborhood. The house needed a lot of work so were able to make an offer in our price range. We found a lender that was able to close in about 8 business days with a lower interest rate than we had planned. All of the strain and dead-ends that seemed to have become our life, dissolved that day as soon as we got out of the van.

We are here now! Chris and I spent the first 5 days working all day with short breaks at night to sleep. We've almost finished painting the entire interior. This place ended up having many more issues than we knew before we moved in, but somehow God has brought people to help for each of them. One of our showers actually leaked right through the floor. The plumber came and gave us the quote to fix it. (Which was more than we had!!). Then, he offered to sell Chris the part and show him how to fix it. Chris and his dad were able to fix it completely. We didn't have hot water for the first 5 days, and it took hours for Chris and his dad to fix the dryer wiring and vent so it actually worked. Chris and his dad pulled the deck off the second story the day we moved in. We knew it was shaky, but it was only afterwards that they realized how close to collapsing it really was. They have almost finished our new deck, and it is beautiful!

Our kids have more friends than ever. If you ask M.C. what his favorite part of living in Oregon is, he will say "friends". G.J. will say "everything but the carpenter ants (another surprise!). The funny thing is with all the projects and issues that have come up, we can't imagine loving a place more. We never thought we'd be as happy here as we were in our small town, but I think all of us are. We live in a neighborhood with a yard and a few trees, but we are also a minute from the highway. All the schools Chris will be working in are minutes from home - the one he is at today is only blocks away. - And Dairy Queen is just around the corner, so we are set!

Chris and I learned so much about trusting each other and really waiting to feel peace that we were where God wanted us to be. The house we had intended to buy, would have been fine. We would have fixed it up and made it work. But we had no idea what God had planned for us a few streets away. So many times in my life I spend my energy trying to rationalize and make decisions on what makes sense in my head. I know why I do it, because then decisions make sense. - To me and to everyone around me. But what I've learned (and just been reminded of) is that when we always only settle for what makes sense, we miss out on the amazing life that God has planned for us. When we play life safe and sane, we miss out on the incredible joy and peace that God intends when we trust him to embark on a different adventure.

And the other thing I'm realizing is that just embarking on the adventure is not actually the point. There are lots of adventures that aren't meant for us. I need to seek out the peace that each step is really for us. Because if life is only about adventure, then it will be exciting, but without peace, it will never feel like the "promised land". With this move, I am learning that more than anything I want to be where He wants me to be. I don't want to miss out on anything that my loving Father has in store. The older I get the more I'm realizing that if that is my intent, then so many of the dreams and adventures I had intended, I can let go of. Because if I step towards an adventure simply because I want to, or feel like I've earned it or deserve it, I will miss out on what He intended a few streets over. This life is about the journey and what we learn about life and love and faith along the way. So instead of spending my energy trying to figure out what things mean, or why they happen, I am finding freedom in praying for peace and enough light for my next step. This seems to be a season of letting go of my expectations, in order to be open for what I can't see around the corner.

Chris started his job today, the boys visited their new school, and I had a job interview. Now that we feel that this is absolutely where we are supposed to be, I'm curious what God has planned for me here...

Thank you for all the support and prayers during this huge transition for us! We couldn't be happier or more at peace. We feel like we have entered our promised land...