When we celebrated New Year’s 2019 on a ship in the middle of the Carribean, we knew we were in for an adventure, but we had no idea the journey we would take. We moved out of our house with a plan. Our plan. One we felt sure the Lord had directed us to do. Move out of the house, live in our timeshare condo a few months, move into a friend’s house they would not be using for a few months, then move into our new home. It should be done by the end of the year and we would have a big Christmas celebration. Celebrating the new home, our last home, the one we’ve dreamed about. Celebrating settledness after a year of unsettled.

Then January 7th, 2019 happened. The day our life came to a screeching halt. Not as devastating as bad health news or death, but still a halt. The day of job loss. Our only source of income at the time. 14 years of Scott’s life poured into a company, for them to decide his position is no longer needed. Just. Like. That. 

Sccrreeeech….. Call the builder. Hold up. This we can control. The rest?? Well, that was up to us to decide. We did not panic, like before. We breathed. We knew there was a reason for this. Do we control it, or do we “let it go and let God?”  It was an easy decision for us this time. We knew we had to wait, pray and listen. God had a plan. Of that we were sure. We had a choice. The Mary or the Martha? Mary, the one who sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he had to say. Martha, the one in the kitchen making all the preparations all the while missing the Words of the Savior in her house. Mary, soaking in all the wisdom coming from the Wisest. Martha, growing bitter and angry doing all the work, missing the wisdom. 

Sounds like an easy decision, but it is not. We can be Mary and appear lazy, defeated, depressed to those around us. We can be Martha, running here and there, finding odd jobs, new jobs, busy jobs. In our relationship, I’m usually the Mary, Scott the Martha. I’m used to that. Fully expecting Scott to get on the phone and start calling everyone he knew. What positions are available at your company? Do you know who is hiring? Spending hours on LinkedIn searching. But, he didn’t. We didn’t.

We prayed. Together and apart. 2 months was the “magic” number. Two months to just be still. Wait. Pray. Listen. As terrifying as it was, we were all in. We had 2 months in a condo – well, a couple condos – on Hilton Head. What better place to be told to rest and wait?

March 1, 2019 was the first day of the new job. Can you do the math? Almost 2 months to the day from when it all stopped and the Lord clearly said give it 2 months! That has been a year ago now. I wish I could tell you I’m writing this blog in my new home, but I’m not. I’m writing from a little 3 bedroom apartment we moved into last July. The Lord was not finished with us quite yet. We weren’t ready to stop waiting. We are no good at it! But, we did it. We obeyed. We persevered. And now we are on our way to a new house! Paperwork signed, the builder is starting to move all the pieces and hopefully….prayerfully…eagerly believing we may possibly spend Thanksgiving in our house. For sure Christmas. 

Nothing about this has been easy, but looking back almost all of it has been good. In our mid-50s and still learning. That is good. Submitting to the will of a Heavenly Father. That is good. Beauty and changes in our original plans. That is good. When the road ahead looks grueling and impossible, submit to the Father. Look all around and see all that is good. Focus on it. See where the Lord is taking you. Listen daily. For that is good!

Are you in a season of waiting? Can I pray with you through it? Let me know in the comments!