Maybe it’s something you have done a lot or maybe this is your first time. Regardless, this six-letter word will completely change your life: Moving.
Take a guess as to how many times I’ve crossed state borders, countries, and seas? Maybe 6 times. 11 times? Nope, moving into my apartment this year was my 18th move in 21 years. That’s a lot of miles, moving boxes, new “homes,” and of course, a lot of “see you later’s.” There is no easy or perfect way to pick up and move to a new location. If you are going through the motions of a move, this blog is for you! My hope is to ease your nerves and bring you peace as you enter into your own transition. Moving is a wild roller coaster of emotions, but the outcome depends on how you let your external circumstances affect your walk with the Lord. You can choose to run, have a poor attitude and throw a fit. But having a posture of prayer, patience and obedience will make a world of difference. Either way, moving will look a bit like that meme. The difference is, if you submit to God’s plan in your relocating situation, you will have a much tighter grip to hold onto. If you don’t submit to God’s plan, you are certainly going to get thrown for a loop.
Jesus Made the Most Difficult Move
One thing my parents always reminded me of when announcing our next move, was “this is what God has for us in this next season.” After hearing this time and time again, I realized I always asked the question in my head “but WHY GOD, WHY NOW??”
One time, I actually said it out loud. I really did not want to move overseas again. My mom, reading me as moms do best, knew I was seeing all the walls of my life come down yet again. She said something I will never forget, “We aren’t the only people God asks to move and do hard things. He asked His Son to make the most difficult move of all… He moved Jesus from Heaven to Earth.”
At that moment all my fears and frustrations faded away because I realized how small-minded and selfish I was thinking, Jesus had to do a lot of adjusting. He was coming from THE perfect place to EARTH! His whole world was flipped completely upside down, but He was obedient.
John 1:9-11 says that the people He came to save, didn’t accept or recognize Him. Even when God asked Him to do difficult things, He was obedient. Knowing this gives me the courage to do what God has set before me.
Don’t Lose Sight of What You Left Behind
Most importantly, when you move to a new location do not lose sight of what God did in your previous location.
Many people think moving means “a fresh start” and sometimes it does. But it doesn’t mean you should completely bury the past because you live somewhere else.
Don’t lose sight of the things He brought you through, the people He put in your path. Stay connected to the people and community you made in your last location, but don’t mourn them with sadness, but rejoice. Be hopeful for how God will provide in all areas of your life in your new location.
Fast Forward
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If you have any questions or just need someone to talk to during this journey, reach out! I would be honored to laugh, cry, pack or unpack boxes and rearrange furniture when you move into your new place!
I pray that God blesses you and provides abundantly more than you could ever expect in your new location.
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P.S.
Just a little life update! I wrote this blog for the Limbo Project back in April (2020), and boy can I tell you, that this year has been the definition of “in limbo.” I know many of you have felt the repercussions of this pandemic in many different ways, whether that is some being infected with the virus, losing a loved one, or having life-altering circumstances like losing your source of income, or making major shifts to your 2020 plans. My heart goes out to each of you as we are all adjusting to a new normal and still trying to make positive impacts in our communities.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed like all the stars were aligning for me to land my DREAM job right out of college. Turns out, that was not the case. My job offer was revoked after the company, like so many others, entered into a hiring freeze (totally reasonable because of the economy). Thus, I entered into limbo. My plan for the summer was to graduate, visit my family in Italy, and backpack for 3 months. Upon completion of my 2020 European Grand Tour, I was planning to step out on my own and plant down some roots in Austin, Texas. Being a military kid, moving is in my blood, so this was a HUGE step and something I was quite nervous (but excited) for.
When COVID-19 swept through the world my plans changed drastically. I ended up living in Lynchburg, VA for the summer, quarantined with my college roommates, and then when my lease was up, God moved me to Virginia Beach, VA. Here I have been helping my grandparents move out of the home they have lived in for 30+ years, and the home I would coin as my “childhood home base.”
Through all of this, I struggled daily to figure out why God had put my life on complete hold, from all the ambitious things I worked so hard for over the last few years. I found myself constantly throwing a tennis ball at my bedroom wall pondering why I had rushed through three degrees in four years, why I didn’t say yes to the dream job I was offered faster, and why was every door I was attempting to knock down to run through was somehow made of pure steel!
And then it hit me one day, GOD wanted me to come to a halt… and soak up all the things I was so easily willing to leave behind in order to jump to the next thing.
Reflecting on my 2020 so far, I no longer am frustrated with the Why’s and How’s, but I see opportunities that I finally took to breathe, to spend time and truly invest in the relationships around me both, to invest in myself physically, emotionally and devote a serious amount of time to my walk with the Lord. It was somewhat of a sabbatical that I didn’t know I needed, and something that I certainly did not want at first, but now I could not be more thankful for the abundance of grace and peace God has placed on me this year.
Now for the biggest update of all, I am finally picking up and moving to Italy! The best thing is, I have no idea when I am coming back, no idea what I am going to do, no idea what jobs look like, but I do know this was the one door God swung right open and invited me through.
Your next season might look extremely different than what you originally thought, but with confidence, I can tell you it’s just what God knew you needed. So pack your suitcase and grab the ticket God has given you (no matter the destination), and walk into your next transition with an open heart and mind. I promise you, you will see God’s mighty hand at work.
