Over the past few months, we have been in a holding pattern. Part of a journey that not only moved us halfway across the country but a challenging season that has brought upheaval, roadblocks and detours.
Sounds like a tough season, right? Perhaps, but God has been ahead of us every step of the way. He has protected us from calamity, bad situations, closed doors, opened doors, established new friendships and opened a new chapter in our lives we never dreamed of.
Perhaps more than anything, though, this season has been a reminder of what’s important. Or perhaps more importantly — what’s not important — at least for now.
Yes, life happens, and ever so suddenly, priorities shift. Then, perspective changes about what’s important and what’s not. As priorities shift, preferences take a back seat, and the four walls of your life become more obvious.
Since March, we have been looking for a new home. We sold our beautiful Colorado home in April, and the new owners allowed us to stay until mid-June. The search for our new place took us across Colorado, to Tennessee and then to multiple cities in southern Texas. We have landed in The Woodlands, Texas, chosen by niche.com as the #1 place to live in America. Yes, we’re excited to be here.
We’ve exchanged gorgeous mountain views, no humidity and snowstorms for magnolia trees, green grass and regular afternoon rainstorms.
We’ll share more about the journey, but today, let’s talk about the important things. The things that often get pushed to the back burner when life is good. Almost a year ago, I wrote about life’s four walls, and I encourage you to review that here.
- Health.
- Finances.
- Family.
- Faith.
Many things were pushed to the side, but we have found ourselves hanging out in these four life areas since early this year. As you may know, Elizabeth and I both experienced a rough bout of COVID. The “rough” part had us holed up in a hotel room for over a week and then driving 1,000 miles to another hotel as we recovered. We’ve both had multiple medical checkups in the past month, and all is clear now.
Yes, we are continually reviewing our finances. Storing your belongings then moving them across the country will force that, along with personal changes and changes in the business.
Family. Yes, during the past couple of months, we’ve been able to see five of our six kids (and spouses) and will see the sixth next month. Shreveport, we’re coming there too. North Carolina, hopefully soon. And, Tennessee, we’ll be back to check on you in September.
Finding a church in our new home is a top priority, but we also have recognized God’s hand in every step of our journey. Yes, He is ever-present, and we seem more in tune. That happens, doesn’t it, when uncertainty and the unknown lie just ahead.
Here’s the moral of this story: Sometimes, you have to get down to the bare essentials. Sometimes, you need to determine what’s important in life. Sometimes, challenging times will cause you to see life differently, and the real priorities will bubble to the top.
Think about it this way, though: 20 years from now, what will be important? Focus on those things now because those things have a better chance of living forever.
–to be continued–