So Far
So far
You've brought us safely on this journey
So far,
And though the goal that lies ahead is
So far,
We've come so far, it's too late to turn back now.
So far,
You've never failed to keep your promise
So far,
And life just keeps on getting sweeter
So far,
We've come so far, from where we started out.
"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go for your own advantage away from your country, from your relatives and your father's house, to the land that I will show you.' " (Gen 12:1)
Due to the insane and rapidly deteriorating conditions in the U.S., my wife and I began searching for a new home several years ago. We made numerous vacation trips to destinations both inside and outside the country that has been our home all our lives. Last spring, we stumbled into a little town in a foreign country, that felt like home, and experienced a series of God-touched moments that made us feel that this could be the place we were looking for.
We committed the decision to God prayerfully, asking to be shown by closed doors if this was not the right move, within His will. Nearly a year went by before we finally put our house on the market.
Through wonderful Christian friends, we found a truly excellent realtor, and waited and prayed for the right buyer, at the right price, in the Lord's time. And waited. And waited.
Honestly, if the house had sold too soon, we would not have been ready to go, and I think my wife would have felt pushed out of her home of 36 years. It was not until she became frustrated and anxious that the right buyer came along.
And what an ideal buyer! In addition to a generous offer, they also took the lion's share of the expense and risk out of the process for us, gave us plenty of time to move out after closing (and said we could have had more if we had asked), bought some of our big, hard-to-move items from us, and told us not to worry about leaving the place in pristine condition (although we left it professionally cleaned, as a courtesy).
God's permission was clearly ours, but what followed really blew us away, and showed us that God was not only OK with the move, but was blessing and anointing us in it. An outpouring of heartfelt love and appreciation from friends and the formal blessing of our church family. Prophecy from a spirit-filled friend and healer. An intricate dance in which our furniture and special belongings found good homes with friends and family and neighbors near and far. An intricate travel plan including hotels, airplanes, and 8 pieces of luggage, that went off seamlessly. A wonderful buy on a low-mileage, well-maintained used car, at a favorable price, when we really needed one and had only two days to find it. And finally, a temporary home with a generous and thoughtful friend who knows our new country much better than we do.
All in all, about 50 more reasons to love and thank the Living God. We are gradually settling in now, in the beautiful place God pointed out to us, and ready for the unfolding of this amazing new chapter in our lives.
