A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps Proverbs 16:9

Boxes pile up throughout the house and everyday living becomes more and more of a maze of hazardous cardboard corners. There are boxes piled, boxes in progress, and boxes turned into tents and hats and automobiles by the children, most of whom are besides themselves excited by the adventure, and others simply observing, bewildered by narrowing passways.

Our family chalkboard is a mess of dates, to-do’s, and doodles. We are already, and quite customarily, behind. Despite all of the downsizing we have done through two moves already in the past five years (has it been that long already?), I still find myself, in the kitchen for example, unable to pare down to simply a pot and a spoon and instead clutch to my dozens of spices and at least that many cookbooks for the last few weeks of organizing, packing, cleaning, moving, cleaning again, hefting items to charity (and I do mean hefting), painting and cleaning (yes, again) the rental home we are moving to, and trying to valiantly save and plant the garden seedlings I’ve been tending on my windowsills. Because you know that after slogging away at that staggering list of responsibilities, I’m going to want to whip up some fancy French five course meal with at least several seasonings on some random evening.

Meanwhile, the family annual weekend vacation must go on. Yes, yes, it must (I tell myself). So must birthdays, a graduation, grandparent visits, a trip to the Regionals NCFCA competition, and Ruby’s all-day trip to the neurodevelopmentalist.

So why did I even LOOK at the current real estate listings? This, I tell you, is an enigma. But there it was: a five acre piece of property in a location that ticked off enough boxes (boxes, again) to make it worth a look in the twenty minutes we had between packing and sleeping. We made an offer on the spot. And now we are pending sale as we tick off even more boxes (boxes! boxes I say!) and, Lord willing, before summer greets us we shall be settled into our next rental AND have a lovely place to go picnic and dream about possibilities amongst the trilliums.

It may be a coincidence I had been reading Trusting God before all of this whirlwind began, but I suppose that would display a gross misunderstanding of not only Mr. Bridges’s teaching, but of God’s sovereignty in all things, blessing and tribulation alike. There is simply no room for panic when your assurance and your footing are on the foundation of Christ, and I am very much aware that when my flesh flees (oh, so often…) from the Holy Spirit’s teaching, guiding, comfort, and incessant reflection of Jesus, it is akin to a child scampering off deliciously close to the Grand Canyon’s edge. Now, He may keep my foot from falling, but He may even not, even as He keeps me in His hands.

So I am packing. Downsizing again. In His grace, He has asked me to do it three times and I am certain that if my flesh remains stubborn, He will do so again and again. He is good that way, and truly, in the process of sanctifying us to be more like Jesus, every “give and take away” is a holy blessing. Embrace it.

Blessings,