Why?

"True that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn't call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort & peace." -Francis Chan, Crazy Love

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I read this quote today and I cannot get it out of my mind. Donald & I know that God brought us to Florida. Why? We haven't a clue. However, this quote gives me the reassurance, and challenge, to know that it wasn't for nothing. The heartache of leaving family; the sadness of saying goodbye to lifelong friends; the major uprooting from a town we've called home essentially all our lives. Nothing about it was easy. However, nothing about it felt wrong. There is a lot of guilt that comes along with saying it felt right to leave "home." That sounds like an oxymoron doesn't it? How could it be right to leave home? While I don't have that answer right now, we stepped out in faith and are excited to see what God has planned! It may be years before I have the answer but I know one day God's going to let me in on His little secret. Until then, all I can do is embrace where we are and be available for God to use. That is exactly what I plan to do.

I will never forget taking this picture. We pulled up to a restaurant to eat dinner. When I opened the car door and saw this view, I literally screamed with excitement. Only being here for 2 weeks, I hadn't really taken the time to breathe in all that had just taken place. Unpacking boxes, settling in to a new home & being so sad about what all I had left behind was taking precedence. God used His creation to fill me with His peace & bring on a new (and more positive) perspective. Even as a teenager the power & majesty of the ocean was amazing to me. My mother said it perfectly: "You can see & feel the presence of God in this picture." And that's just what this moment was for me. A visible & tangible image of God and the sweet reminder that

same Father who controls the wind & waves is in total control of my life.