When He Calls

Life changes so fast.
We've learned this in SO many ways these past few years.
Sometimes that's exciting, and sometimes it's hard.
We have another change coming, and it's one we didn't really expect!
Not long ago, I shared how God has led us through life and brought us just what we needed, when we needed it.  I also shared how we have continued to pray for God's direction because we just weren't sure where we were meant to be.

 Only about a month after that post, we got a phone call that put us on a path that we never would have expected!
My dad called me and asked what we'd think of moving to SD.
I laughed.
A bit of back story for those of you who don't know my family...
I was born on the west coast, but moved to SD when I was 6.  I lived there until we got married, when I was 20, when we moved back west.  My parents also moved west about a year later.  a few years after that, we made our move to MN, where my husband grew up.  We started the farming business, and fully expected to be doing that for the rest of our lives, despite our wondering if this is really where we were meant to be.  I guess God had other plans!
So back to the phone call.
My dad shared the idea (not for the first time), of us moving to SD and working at his business (a sales/service company mostly for commercial cleaning equipment) that he started back when we first moved there over 20 years ago.  I laughed because it wasn't a place we ever imagined ourselves living, or a job I could picture my husband doing. Then I realized that after praying all this time for God to lead us, I probably shouldn't laugh at what could be His way of opening a door for us! I told my Dad that I would talk to my husband and we would pray about it and get back to him.
My husband laughed.
It was one of those things he would have said he'd "never do". 
(Please note... never say never!)
I told him we should probably at least pray about it, and he agreed.  He said we should pray about it individually for a few days, think about it, be in the Word, and then we'd chat about it together.  If God had us on the same page, maybe we'd have a clearer idea of where to go with it.  I didn't give it a whole lot of thought at first, because of course we weren't going! 
Then one day I had some quiet time, and really starting thinking and praying (and of course... in my style.... writing lists!).  I thought about some of our long term dreams, about the path our life has taken, and started to question my initial reaction.  I read the Bible for a long time that night, seeing places about trusting God's plan. 
The next day, we started discussing it a little further.  Much to the amazement of both of us, we were thinking in the exact same way.  We both had the same idea in mind as far as long term plans, and just felt like maybe God really was giving us a new direction!  Both of us had fully expected (and maybe even hoped!) that the other wouldn't be feeling that way.  We both have liked living in MN, and would have been fine with staying in this area.  We have been blessed in so many ways here, through friendships, our church, and family.  Why would we leave that?! 
But God's ways are not our ways!  We continued to talk, and I shared that I had read a few places in God's Word the night before that I wanted to share with him.  I pulled open my Bible and flipped to the place and I was about to begin reading, when my husband commented that he felt like God had laid Psalm 145:19 on his heart.  I looked down at the page I was just about to start reading.  
Psalm 145.
.
.
I was just about to read that same passage to him!!
Specifically, Psalm 145:13-21
​

Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

We got the chills.  
We knew that this wasn't just a coincidence.
God had put us on the same page.
While the verses weren't specifically giving us instruction, we felt so much comfort knowing that God's hand was in it.  He gave us the sign we needed, exactly what we had asked for.  
We knew that if nothing else, we at least needed to look into this open door a little more and explore what it could mean.  Thought I think that point, we both just knew.
We are moving.
We're moving to a place we never expected, doing work we never thought would fit.
We have begun the process of selling the farm that my husband had always dreamed of.
We will be signing final papers to purchase a house very soon.
The pieces continue to fall into place.

We don't expect life to be easy.
We know there will be challenges ahead in many ways.
We are so sad to leave this place that has become home, these people who have become our people, this lifestyle that we were growing to love.
But we are also excited.
We look forward to changes and a fresh start; as well new friends and different places to explore.
We are thankful that it is a place familiar to us;  where we already have some friends, and a church family to re-connect with.

So we ask for your prayers, as we start on this new adventure.
Pray that we are given continued peace.
Pray that the transition goes smoothly for all of us.
Pray that we are willing to do whatever God calls us to do in this new place.

God is faithful.
He will never leave us or forsake us.
He will direct our paths.
May God be with you on whatever journey you are traveling right now.