A year of trials, tribulations and testing....

Wow, to think I am sitting here back in Tx, living nonetheless, reflecting on this past year. I can't help but sit in awe of God and how His promises ring true more and more each day.

Early last May 2010 my husband and I were selling our house and planning to make a move across town. Little did we know the Lord had different plans in mind. We found a place that we liked, was affordable and everyday we prayed, "Lord, if this is what you want please let everything work out. If its not shut the doors and don't let us get in the way." After several months of our house sitting on the market we almost felt like, well maybe this isn't supposed to happen. Maybe we're rushing this and trying to make everything move in our timing. Then, all of a sudden in a market where the houses in our neighborhood were just sitting and waiting to be sold for over a year, it happened! We got a buyer and that's when things started to move. We had 31 days to get out so, we booked the apartment and were excited.! All the while, we maintained a prayerful attitude of, "Lord, if this isn't what you want us to do, please don't let it happen." One week away from our set move-in date, we get the call. "You want us there as soon as possible?" My heart stopped. My husband hangs up the phone and looks at me and I knew instantly we weren't moving across town anymore!

The company my husband was working for was based out of Kansas City, MO and they're main restaurants were in Wichita, KS. Several months prior the idea came up of us moving up to Wichita so that he could run the restaurants. But, it was obvious that 9,465 things needed to happen before we would be called upon to make the move. We just kind of assumed it away and moved forward with plans to make a small move here. A week from making that small move, our plans did a 180 north! All the while still maintaining a prayerful attitude of, "Send us wherever You want." Wondering how in the world we were going to find a place to stay in just 1 week plus all the cost of making that huge move made us start to panic just a bit. The next day my husband received a call and after he hung up, we were given money for moving expenses AND a place to stay once we got there! Absolutely nothing to worry about! We just needed to get in and go!

The night before we left I remember having a conversation with my husband. He told me, "This can go one of two ways. We can start to get really homesick and lonely (because we knew NO ONE in KS) or we can take this opportunity to grow closer as a family and build a stronger relationship with one another. It's going to be hard and trying at times, but I believe this is what the Lord is wanting us to do." So, a week later we loaded our truck, a trailer and a uhaul and made the 15.5hr drive to Wichita KS. Our little guys were 2, 1 and 0 at the time, so can you say, PATIENCE BUILDER!!!

Immediately I fell in love with the city! In fact we all did. Again, not knowing anyone other than the people that he worked with, it made for some pretty long days. There's something about being away from a giant city like Houston that seems to make time slow down. Things were going good and then we realized that the neighborhood that we were in wasn't the ideal place and we wanted to be more centrally located in the city. So off on the hunt I went! There was a great neighborhood, in fact the best one in Wichita that I had met a friend in. One day while waiting to meet-up for playgroup, I happened upon a house for rent. I called the number, talked to the man and decided to show the hubs. When I did, he really wasn't interested in it. So, for an entire month we prayed and prayed and prayed about it. Finally, not knowing if the place was still available I called. Lo and behold, there was a guy that was interested and we could come see it but it wasn't going to be guaranteed to us. We went and looked at it and fell in love with it immediately! But, there was still that possibility that we wouldn't get it. 2 days later, we got the call that the landlord had turned the other guy down and wanted the house to go to us! We were thrilled. We moved in a month later. During this time the job front wasn't looking too hot. There were some morality issues going on within the company that really challenged us to make, sometimes tough decisions in staying by our convictions. There were times we found ourselves extremely worn-out physically, emotionally and spiritually. But, we believed that God had brought us there and we would asked to be shown what the lesson was that He was trying to teach us.
In those 11.34 months we lived there we learned so much. I learned my weaknesses as a mom/wife and I learned how to work through them. I learned so many things about myself personally that I had believed I already had worked through. I learned so much about my husband, my children and even more about the Lord. I realize now that this past year was a valley. One that was full of lesson after lesson after lesson. The best lesson I feel that I learned however, was this. To be called a Christian and then make that claim yourself, is to say that you are like Christ. Now, most people probably say Christian and think nothing more of it. But for me, I have come to understand that saying your a Christian isn't just a claim that someone can make. It is a lifestyle and to be perfectly honest,its a lifestyle that sometimes makes you so uncomfortable you can barely stand it. A lifestyle that at times seems to put everyone and everything against you. Looking back I'm reminded of the passage in Philippians 4 that reads:

"4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is [c]near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all [d]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is [e]lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, [f]dwell on these things. 9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

11 Not that I speak [g]from want, for I have learned to be [h]content in whatever circumstances I am. 12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13 I can do all things [i]through Him who strengthens me. 14 Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.

I realized very quickly that in order to experience fulfillment in verse 4:13 I had to understand and grasp verses 8-12 first.

Exactly 6 days from the date we had moved just a year before, the Lord moved us back. We were full of prayer and seeking advice and one thing after another fell exactly into place and now, here we are. Stronger in our relationship with one another, our children but most importantly our Lord. I know that there are going to be more things that we go through but, because of this year of our lives and the things that we experienced, I believe we will be all the more prepared to deal with whatever that might be.
Trust is one of the biggest issues we as Christians face. But, when you do fully trust the Lord and leave EVERY part or your life in His hands, you will begin to see amazing things happen. I'm so thankful to God for our time in Wichita and who knows, maybe the Lord will take us back there some day. I know we're always willing to do as He asks even if its hard sometimes.