The Cloud and the Calling
I have had no shortage of transitional points in my life. It comes with being a pastor's kid, a missionary kid--a follower of Christ, really. Micah and I have come to lean on one particular passage from Exodus throughout our (many) times of transition:
"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted." (Exodus 40:36, 37)
To us, it was a reminder that no matter how imminent change seemed, the time to move did not come until the cloud lifted. We were to remain--fully remain-- where we were until that day.
But when the cloud lifts...
We have been on a long journey of seeking God's will for our family. He has been clearly shaping our hearts, our passions, and our vision for the past year and a half. He has given us a heart for community, a passion for restoration, and a vision for encouraging and supporting those around us. At the same time, we've felt that our time in an RD role was nearing its end. The only question was when and how.
Last week, almost completely out of the blue, we received a call from a university Micah had applied to. They wanted a phone interview, and called him the next day, July 4th, at 7 in the morning. Things moved incredibly quickly and we found ourselves visiting the school Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for an on-campus interview.
From the very beginning, we were blown away by their thoughtfulness. As we had conversations and heard their vision for the school and the community, we were amazed at how perfectly it aligned with ours. We traveled to the town tentatively, knowing that sometimes it takes time to learn to like a place. We loved it instantly. We were met with confirmation after confirmation. We were so hopeful that things would work out.
At the same time, history has taught us to be cautious. We went into our closing meeting unsure of what we would hear. We knew what we wanted at that point, and only hoped their thoughts would align with ours. We never dreamed we'd have the conversation that followed! They felt the interview had gone incredibly well, and they wanted Micah at their school. They even wanted to tailor the job description somewhat to fit his strengths! When does that happen?!
We got in the car to come home and shook our heads in amazement. We had only one thought: The cloud had lifted. It was time, right now. God was on the move and we were ready to follow.
And so, our little family of five will be setting out (in less than two weeks!) on a new adventure. We'll be moving to Illinois to take on a wonderful new calling. We are so excited. It's bittersweet to leave our family and friends a few hours behind, and yet we have complete peace knowing that God's hand is all over this situation. We see that clearly. The kids are so excited. It helps that Route 66 criss-crosses our new town four times. They can't wait to see what it looks like in real life! There are beautiful hiking spots nearby and new playgrounds to explore. They are thrilled.
When God moves, it seems, he moves swiftly! We will keep you all up to date as much as we can, but we know these next days and weeks will be a blur. We're trying to soak up every moment, keeping our eyes on that cloud all the while. We're so thankful for clear direction and a new calling.
"In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted." (Exodus 40:36, 37)
To us, it was a reminder that no matter how imminent change seemed, the time to move did not come until the cloud lifted. We were to remain--fully remain-- where we were until that day.
But when the cloud lifts...
We have been on a long journey of seeking God's will for our family. He has been clearly shaping our hearts, our passions, and our vision for the past year and a half. He has given us a heart for community, a passion for restoration, and a vision for encouraging and supporting those around us. At the same time, we've felt that our time in an RD role was nearing its end. The only question was when and how.
Last week, almost completely out of the blue, we received a call from a university Micah had applied to. They wanted a phone interview, and called him the next day, July 4th, at 7 in the morning. Things moved incredibly quickly and we found ourselves visiting the school Tuesday and Wednesday of this week for an on-campus interview.
From the very beginning, we were blown away by their thoughtfulness. As we had conversations and heard their vision for the school and the community, we were amazed at how perfectly it aligned with ours. We traveled to the town tentatively, knowing that sometimes it takes time to learn to like a place. We loved it instantly. We were met with confirmation after confirmation. We were so hopeful that things would work out.
At the same time, history has taught us to be cautious. We went into our closing meeting unsure of what we would hear. We knew what we wanted at that point, and only hoped their thoughts would align with ours. We never dreamed we'd have the conversation that followed! They felt the interview had gone incredibly well, and they wanted Micah at their school. They even wanted to tailor the job description somewhat to fit his strengths! When does that happen?!
We got in the car to come home and shook our heads in amazement. We had only one thought: The cloud had lifted. It was time, right now. God was on the move and we were ready to follow.
And so, our little family of five will be setting out (in less than two weeks!) on a new adventure. We'll be moving to Illinois to take on a wonderful new calling. We are so excited. It's bittersweet to leave our family and friends a few hours behind, and yet we have complete peace knowing that God's hand is all over this situation. We see that clearly. The kids are so excited. It helps that Route 66 criss-crosses our new town four times. They can't wait to see what it looks like in real life! There are beautiful hiking spots nearby and new playgrounds to explore. They are thrilled.
When God moves, it seems, he moves swiftly! We will keep you all up to date as much as we can, but we know these next days and weeks will be a blur. We're trying to soak up every moment, keeping our eyes on that cloud all the while. We're so thankful for clear direction and a new calling.
