"Then I will make up to you for the years that the swarming locusts have eaten." Joel 2:25
"...the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:3
The Lord has a way of using the most unexpected things to get our attention. The hikes we took (see last two blog entries) continue to resonate in the lessons He teaches me about perseverance, and how He rebuilds our lives from what looks like devastation.
The one that stands out in particular involves our time of moving from Michigan to Denver. My husband was out of a job and had to take up a contract position for six months in the Denver area, hoping he would get hired permanently. Because of Michigan’s dire economy, we had no choice. My two boys and I tearfully waved goodbye to him in the summer of ’09, not knowing when we would see him again. After three months on the job, he was offered a permanent position and we knew God was telling us to relocate. That left me responsible for the bulk of the relocating part.
There was prepping the house to sell and keeping it spotless for showing, all while maintaining a huge yard and homeschooling our sons. The ceramic tile in the kitchen needed to be broken up and replaced, so the three of us demolished it with hammers, a lot of sweat, and dust that covered everything despite my best efforts to keep it to a minimum. I learned how to fix the garage door when it got stuck. Each time I had to take care of something unfamiliar, I felt a sense of accomplishment. (If you need help shopping for a gas line for your dryer, give me a shout.) But by the time December rolled around, I felt like someone at the circus who keeps all those plates spinning on sticks. The boys’ homeschooling was going by the wayside and I was, for lack of a better term, freaking out.
I called a veteran home school mom whose kids were grown, as she had taken on the role of consultant for those moms in the area still in the thick of it. I poured out my tears and explained my dilemma. Her response was straight from the Lord. She said, “Hilary, set aside the schooling. God’s grace will make up for it. He doesn’t expect you to do all this and keep up with school. Let it go and you can pick it up later. If your sons graduate a year later, so what? God will redeem all of it.“ So, I set down the home schooling plate and focused on moving. We did do a few lessons here and there as time permitted, but mostly the boys and I had to devote our time otherwise.
We showed the house no less than 26 times with not one offer. I was so exasperated at the responses that I finally told the agent, prior to the last showing, “Tell them we do not have stainless steel appliances, cherry cabinets, and granite counter tops. Then ask them if they still want to see it – because I am not wasting my time on another showing where people want HGTV perfect.” They came, they saw, they left. No offer.
The months wore on. I was tired. I was exhausted. I was without my husband, and I was emotionally spent with no end of the trail in sight. (I have a new appreciation for widows and single moms.)
One day in early spring, my husband suggested we rent, get someone in the house, and get us moved out there. Had he suggested that at the start, I would have popped the idea out of the air like an expert skeet shooter. But the timing was perfect, and his idea was well-received. I put out the word to the community and immediately had interest from two families. One of the families saw the house and the yard as perfect for them and seven children. The timing was perfect for them as well.
This meant really hauling to pack up and go. Our deadline was the end of May in 2010. My husband would come home, help us finish up, load up the truck and off we would go. I knew when he would be home. I knew his help was on the way. But it was over a month before his arrival and I could go no further. I wanted to drop my backpack right there and quit. I did set it down, cry me a river, and told the Lord how I could not take another step. I hit a wall. The bugs were biting. My feet were killin’ me. He brought to mind the lessons of the hikes, of getting to the end of the trail. He encouraged me and cheered me on. “Don’t give up. Finish the job. You’re almost there. You. are. almost. there.” My mind scanned the mental images of the Smokies, the Tetons…and the quitting. Since my husband was not there to retrieve my backpack for me, I picked it up, threw it over my tired shoulders, and plodded on.
The months wore on. I was tired. I was exhausted. I was without my husband, and I was emotionally spent with no end of the trail in sight. (I have a new appreciation for widows and single moms.)
One day in early spring, my husband suggested we rent, get someone in the house, and get us moved out there. Had he suggested that at the start, I would have popped the idea out of the air like an expert skeet shooter. But the timing was perfect, and his idea was well-received. I put out the word to the community and immediately had interest from two families. One of the families saw the house and the yard as perfect for them and seven children. The timing was perfect for them as well.
This meant really hauling to pack up and go. Our deadline was the end of May in 2010. My husband would come home, help us finish up, load up the truck and off we would go. I knew when he would be home. I knew his help was on the way. But it was over a month before his arrival and I could go no further. I wanted to drop my backpack right there and quit. I did set it down, cry me a river, and told the Lord how I could not take another step. I hit a wall. The bugs were biting. My feet were killin’ me. He brought to mind the lessons of the hikes, of getting to the end of the trail. He encouraged me and cheered me on. “Don’t give up. Finish the job. You’re almost there. You. are. almost. there.” My mind scanned the mental images of the Smokies, the Tetons…and the quitting. Since my husband was not there to retrieve my backpack for me, I picked it up, threw it over my tired shoulders, and plodded on.
Still ahead was moving away from my mommy, my friends, and my siblings to a place far away. Still ahead was unpacking everything and loading it into storage. Still ahead was finding a new home, establishing ourselves in a new community, of finding new friends and new home schooling contacts (and profound loneliness, the subject of a blog yet to come.)
We moved in May of ’10, got situated, and picked up with our homeschooling where we left off that fall, fully expecting to be a year “behind”. At the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year, my oldest asked if he could graduate with the class of 2014. I did not hesitate to remind him of the moving year that set us back. He pressed me to count his credits and I was amazed. The Lord not only made up the time (refer to the verse above), but Michael had more than enough to earn his diploma.
My friend and I often joke about the lessons in perseverance, getting out the bug spray, and we wonder why we can’t have other lessons for a while. We know it can’t be otherwise, of course.
Maybe you're facing some kind of major change in your life. Maybe someone close has passed and you need time to grieve. Go ahead and allow yourself time to grieve. Maybe you, too, are facing a move. You can focus on the moving. Maybe you or someone you know has received some dreaded news from the doctor and you are not only in shock, but you have to think about how to deal with it in the days ahead. Perhaps you have lost a job and the bills are mounting up. Whatever it is, it is no surprise to God, and "...He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:14 Ask Him for refreshment, for strength, and how He wants you to proceed.
Maybe you're facing some kind of major change in your life. Maybe someone close has passed and you need time to grieve. Go ahead and allow yourself time to grieve. Maybe you, too, are facing a move. You can focus on the moving. Maybe you or someone you know has received some dreaded news from the doctor and you are not only in shock, but you have to think about how to deal with it in the days ahead. Perhaps you have lost a job and the bills are mounting up. Whatever it is, it is no surprise to God, and "...He knows our frame and remembers that we are dust." Psalm 103:14 Ask Him for refreshment, for strength, and how He wants you to proceed.
“And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
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