When I was younger, I thought I had my whole life planned. I thought I would marry a guy who also grew up in the same city I grew up in, we would have our children there, and be happy staying right where I had always lived. That life would have been good. It would have been comfortable. It also would have likely stifled my growth with God. That was not the life that God saw when he looked at me. He had many lessons he wanted me to learn. In order to learn those lessons, I had to leave the comfort of my hometown. His plan was much better than mine. He had the best plan in mind!
Brett Grew Up in a Different City
Brett did not grow up in the same city I did. In fact he didn’t even grow up in the same state as me. I lived my entire life in Albuquerque, NM, and only moved once to a house that was only 2 miles away. Brett on the other hand, grew up in Texas. He was born in a small town in west Texas, and moved to the other end of Texas to a city just outside of Houston, TX when he was 10.
We had very different childhoods. I grew up just a mile away from my grandparents, and in the same city as almost all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. We were a tight knit family.
Brett grew up having to travel a day to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Still, they were a tight knit group as well.
The First Move
When God brought Brett into my life and told me I was going to marry him, I was afraid he would make me leave my family. I still had no desire to move away. I was sure that Albuquerque was the best place for me. Thankfully, Brett liked Albuquerque too and promised we could live there permanently after he graduated from college in Texas.
True to his word, we did move back to Albuquerque after Brett graduated. We both figured we would live there forever, and proceeded to buy a house and made plans for kids in the near future. After only a year and a half it became clear that if Brett wanted to keep his job, we would need to move to Phoenix, AZ. While this was the last thing I wanted to do, I did hear from God who clearly told me to go. So Brett and I packed up and moved to Phoenix. When we left I thought we would be there for about 5 years and then we could move back to my hometown. I still had a vision of raising my kids in the same town I grew up in.
We lived in Arizona for 6 years. It was a time of great growth. We grew as a family. Brett and I left a family of two and in three years we had our three kids. We grew as a couple by learning how to be parents together. Living in a place with no family forced us to bond in a way that was a huge blessing. Personally I learned how to be my own person apart from my family. Spiritually I discovered more of who I was in the sight of God, and I learned more of what it means to be a Godly wife and mother. This was a time when I learned more of what God wanted for me.
The Second Move
After living in Arizona for six years, we felt God leading us to move to Texas. Brett tried to get a job with the same company in Austin, but each time the door shut. By this time our oldest daughter was about to start school, and God had led me to homeschool her. One day the Lord pointed out that it didn’t matter where we lived because school would be as good or bad as I made it. It suddenly hit me that we could move back to Albuquerque. After some prayer we felt God leading us to move back. I was so excited! I was finally getting my lifelong wish. My kids would get to grow up in the same city I grew up in. I would be back where my family was. I was excited to see them more often and hang out whenever we wanted!
We packed up our first real home and off we went. I cried as we left thinking about how I brought each of my babies home from the hospital. I cried as I reminisced of each of my babies taking their first steps. Their first everything was in that home. I knew we were going exactly where God wanted us to go, and I was finally going to be living the dream I had since I was a little girl. Nonetheless, it was hard leaving my life and starting new.
We lived in Abuquerque for 10 months before God moved us once again. It was so amazing living near my family again. We did get to see them more often and I took every opportunity to see them all. However, it became apparent rather quickly that this was not the place God had for us longterm. There was a spirit of apathy and selfishness there. It felt like everyone only cared about themselves, but also didn’t care about anyone including themselves. It was so strange and hard to explain. Let’s just say, that both Brett and I felt the spiritual oppression there and figured out we didn’t want to raise our kids there longterm.
The Third Move
After being in Albuquerque a few weeks, and opportunity to move to Dublin, Ireland came up. Brett asked me several times if I wanted to move there on a shortterm assignment. I seriously thought he was joking and kept saying, “No way! We just moved and I don’t want to go through all that again.” One day while we were driving, Brett asked once again if we wanted to move to Ireland. I again said, “No.” This time it was different. This time I heard the voice of God saying, “You will move to Ireland.” It suddenly hit me that Brett was serious. Still I couldn’t commit right then to saying yes, even though I knew we would be moving there.
The thought of moving to another country was a whole new level of scary for me. Up to then I had never left the country. I never even went to Mexico or Canada, our two boarding countries. Visiting a new country was scary enough, but the thought of moving to another country seemed to be out fo the question. Eventually I did tell Brett we could go. By the end of that year we had packed up once again and off we went to Ireland.
The Last Move
Living in Ireland was so much fun, and so much frustration all rolled into one. Naturally things are done differently there. Sometimes they were done better, but other times they were done inefficiently. We quickly learned to appreciate the ease of doing things in America. The best part of living in Ireland was the people. Everyone was so kind to us while we were there. The Irish are extremely hospitable, something many Americans need to learn. We always felt like they were glad we were there, and genuinely sad when we moved back home. I do hope to go back someday. And if you ever get the chance to go, take it! I recommend going in the spring or summer. It’s beautiful there then, and you will have loads of sunlight.
A Hard Decision
We had 18 months to decide where we would move to next. Long story short, we decided to move to Austin, TX. Brett had to quit his job, but we knew that was where we were supposed to be planted next. We have now lived in Texas for 5 ½ years. We have met so many amazing people. Each of us have learned so many valuable lessons. We have all grown in our walk with God. Our kids are finally rooted in one place and able to grow into the people God created them to be.
The Point
I do have a point to my story. About a week ago, I was listening to a guy Brett introduced me to named, Kevin Zadai. In a passing comment he told the story of how after he was saved, God told him to leave his hometown. His family wasn’t happy about it, but he knew he had to obey God. (Link)
I was talking to Brett about this, and it suddenly occurred to me why God would never allow us to stay in Albuqueruque for long. He needed to take me out of my place of comfort so that I could grow. Yes, it was hard, painful at times, and definitely scary, but it was what I needed. God is interested in our growth more than he is interested in our comfort.
We have lots of trees in our yard here. From time to time a seed will get planted and a new tree will sprout. Brett loves to take those saplings and plant them in one of our planters. When the sapling gets big enough, he will either give it away or plant it in our yard someplace. The sapling is probably happy and comfortable in the planter. It may feel like it has enough space to grow. Moving the sapling to another spot may make the sapling feel uneasy. Why does it have to move away from the comfort of the planter? After all, we can move the planter anyplace the sapling needs to go. If it gets too cold, we can bring it inside. If it needs more water, we can move it to the hose. It’s nurtured and well taken care of in the planter.
Once we plant it in the ground, it is on its own. If it needs more water, it will have to make its roots go deeper. When it gets cold, it will have to hibernate like all the other trees. The thing is, if we allowed the tree to stay in the planter, it couldn’t grow into the big oak tree it is supposed to be. The roots couldn’t go down deep to make it stand firm even when it becomes really windy. Leaving it in the planter would stifle the growth of the tree. It wound’t be able to grow tall like it is supposed to be. It would always be sapling size.
We are Like a Tree
Just like the tree, God will allow us to be in the “planter” of our family. We may feel safe and secure there, and the thought of moving out may feel intimidating. God has us move away for a reason. He knows that when we are on our own, we will learn to depend on him more than our family. We will learn to dig our roots down so that when the winds of life comes we can stand firm. Although it may be scary to move away, it is always worth obeying God. He knows exactly what we need, and where to plant us so that we can grow best!
God even compares us to a tree in Psam 1 (ESV):
“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”
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