A Marathon of Moves, but Who’s Counting?

Posted by Elizabeth Welsh on June 24, 2014 · 4 Comments 

(I posted this on June 2, 2014 but I accidentally trashed it. So I’m posting it again to keep it with A Marathon of Moves. If you’ve already read it, I apologize.)

When God formed me in my mother’s womb, He graciously gave me an adventuresome spirit. And it’s a good thing! For my first eighteen years, I lived in the same house with the same family in the same small Georgia town. When I left home for college, any semblance of sameness decided to stay home where it was comfortable and safe.

But not me! Since that time, the longest I’ve lived in one place has been eight years. When Jay and I married in 1958, we were two clueless kids embarking on an adventure we would have never dreamed possible.

As I look back over the years, I envision our family of nineteen as a chessboard with God standing over us, moving the pieces and directing the madness. Sometimes we’re like a hornet’s nest buzzing with activity. More than once, three or more of our gang have been in the air flying somewhere for their own adventure.

Yesterday, I decided to calculate some of the movement of just the two of us and our five daughters. So I poked the hornet’s nest for information. If you could read the girls’ texts, you would roll on the floor laughing.

The following represents *the schools we’ve attended, *the moves we’ve made together and individually, and *the mission trips/projects we’ve been on. The results are ridiculous. I promise you won’t believe it.

Family on the Move
• Prep School, Various colleges/Universities, Grad Schools and Law School: 17 different schools
• Moves: Family moves, plus the girls’ moves after they left home: 80 moves
• Mission Trips/Projects: Approximately 41

Astounding, isn’t it? Never a dull moment with our family. Just to think about it leaves my head spinning somewhere between awe and insanity. I feel as if I’m on the verge of either a joyful tear fest or a hysterical hissy fit. I’m not sure which.

If you decide to call 911 to send the paddy wagon for me, tell them they’ll find me on my knees. Doing what? PRAYING! I’ll be thanking God that so far, we’ve all survived our marathon of moves. Not somehow—but triumphantly! That’s the real miracle.

So, what’s next, you may ask. Eight years ago, Jay and I moved into our wonderful little home on Grand View Drive in Westminster, SC. Our youngest daughter, Lisa and her family live three miles from us. This has been a great place for the whole family to gather. But it took a lot of moves for us to get here. So, when we settled into our house, Jay made an emphatic decision. “We’re not moving again, not until we go to Heaven.”

You may have heard this wise proverb. “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Well, that day, I’m pretty sure God laughed.

Our son-in-law Brad Tyler is a general surgeon in this area. He has recently accepted a job with a large medical group in Wilmington, NC. He’s excited about the opportunity and we’re excited for him.

After much discussion and prayer, we’ve decided to move to Wilmington, as well. At our age, we strongly feel we need to be near family. After weighing all the possibilities, this seems to be the most practical decision we can make.

Jay and I are dealing with the idea of moving again in our own individual ways. Thankfully, God is dealing with both of us in His own gracious way. There’s one thing we both agree on. God has never failed us or let us down. He has blessed our family beyond what we could dream possible. I don’t think He’s going to stop now.

Yes, we’re a bit overwhelmed and we don’t look forward to the work of another move. But we truly do desire God’s will more than our own. And we’re excited to see what He has in store for us. As you can imagine, we have a lot to do.

Meanwhile, we would appreciate your prayers for:
• Wisdom in making decisions.
• A buyer for our house and the Tyler’s, as well.
• The homes God has chosen for both families.
• Good health, strength, stamina, endurance and patience during move.

By the way, we plan for this to be our last move. But if that makes God laugh, we’ll continue our marathon of moves. That is, until we get to Heaven. And then, we won’t ever need to move again. For my adventuresome spirit will be home at last!

Filed under Food for Thought · Tagged with family on the move, Georgia, making God laugh, marathon of moves, mission trips, moves, schools