It’s been ten years since I moved from the small town of Seneca, KS to the city of Pittsburgh, PA. It makes sense to me that it’s been ten years, but at the same time, not at all.
When my husband and I started dating, we were long distance. We knew that had to end sooner rather than later, and he was in grad school at the time, which meant that I (the recent college grad) had more flexibility to move. So, I moved. It was perhaps one of the hardest and easiest decisions of my life. I LOVED my hometown – and more importantly, I LOVED living near my family. So to move halfway across the country was very difficult for me. But at the same time, I knew it “needed to be done” if I wanted to continue the relationship with the guy I had a good feeling was *the one*.
I have to admit, never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d last 10 years here. I thought FOR SURE once my husband graduated, we’d move back to Kansas or at least closer than 14 hours away. What I wouldn’t give to not have to make a 14 hour road trip just to see my family – or them to see us! But, that’s just never really presented itself as an opportunity. Sure, it is always a choice, but life hasn’t seemed to pick us up and place us there.
Fear, discomfort, and the unknown have a way of making us humble ourselves. We either power through the fear, or we back down. I’ve backed down too many times to count. But the moments when I push myself through the unknowns and allow God to take control of the thing that is scaring me, He always uses it for good. Sometimes that means I fall on my face, but 99% of the time, God guides me to what is truly best for me – whether I like it immediately or not.
There have been monumental moments in my life that I can look back on now and see how God was working through me and in me. Have I always been open completely to what He was bringing me to? No. But I think the important thing we ALL have to remember is that God never leaves us hanging. He is always working for us and for our good. He doesn’t love us halfway or just a little bit. He loves us in our entirety with His whole heart.
The scared 22-year-old who cried her eyes out the night before arriving in Pittsburgh (and needed her at-the-time boyfriend to drive to meet her and her parents so she’d for sure keep driving east) had no idea what was in store for her. A beautiful life with an amazing husband and three incredible kids is what was waiting for me at the end of that first road trip. Living so far from home felt impossible, but something kept me moving forward, and I know now that it was God.
Overcoming fear, discomfort, and the unknown is only the first step. What you do afterwards, and how open you are to God’s will for your life is the next step. Neither are easy, but certainly worth (at minimum) a 14 hour road trip in between your first, your current, and your eternal home.
