First things first..

Did I mention that in three weeks time, we will be moving? Maybe the reason I haven't is that I haven't fully digested the notion, but bit by bit the idea becomes more real. In three weeks time, we will pack up and leave our quiet birdhouse in the woods and truck out east to a future that God only knows. This is a very, very deep box for my brain to unpack, so I'm only dealing with it in manageable increments. I'm keeping first things first, so to speak.

So, my first thing is to trust that God knows what He is doing, even when I don't. This is where Sovereignty is clutch. We cling to it like an oxygen mask. Otherwise, we would spend all of our time spinning our wheels, becoming more and more discouraged and frustrated with each passing day. This is a tall order, by the way. It takes a lot of mental energy to fight doubt, particularly since this is the first time that we have made a major life decision without the benefit of chapter and verse: our go-to safety net. This time, we are moved by circumstances which seem to point to a Divine new plan...or at least the start of one.

The Lord will give you meager bread and water

 during oppression, but your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer.

 Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left,

 your ears will hear this command behind you:

 “This is the way. Walk in it.”

Is. 30:20, 21

We had many pressing factors with this, the primary one being that we are so far away for medical help. We knew we had to move closer to neurologists, but where? I'm sure there are people who deal with these things all the time in even more secluded environments. But we counted the cost, and soon we began to see something amazing. God started to move. God's people clear across the country started reaching out to His kids in Montana. They wrote notes of encouragement to us daily, they included us in corporate and private prayer, they invested in things to aid in our transition: moving vans, people willing to move us, people giving us beds, a refrigerator, gas money and on and on. Basically, they loved us- strangers from Montana. And the clincher was when sweet friends gave us a place to live for free. I bless God for moving the hearts and hands of these precious people.
God knew our needs and prepared them in advance. He supplied us with a home with easy access to good hospitals and doctors. Wow!

So that's Step One of the two thousand mile trip: Trust God.

Step two: don't forget to minister.
 To be sure, there are a thousand phone calls to make, lists to compile, clothes to sort,
 stuff to give away...all daunting tasks for a unorganized scatterbrain like me. Its very easy for me to get lost in it all, and succumb to an overwhelming sense disorganization. But its so important for me to remember that as all of this is happening, there are hearts involved. Hearts that are treading water, trying to make sense of confusion, and walking a tight rope that extends between excitement and sadness. So as much as I'd like to have the color coded task lists, and a systematic progress chart, my heart tells me that the second most important task is being in tune with the hearts of my peeps.

God, help me be willing to drop the boxes and be available to snuggle on the couch!
And please give me some of Your patience- I so need it. Give me eyes to notice the emotions that are worn on their faces, and discernment to minister to the ones that they hide. Give me wisdom when there are words to speak, and love when there nothing to say.  Help us when we doubt, and make crooked paths straight. We ask for your grace.
Amen.