HUGE MOVE!
Everybody, get a clue!
DOWN SIZE NOW!!!!!
I had some dear friends help me with a moving sale and they eventually had to lock me out of the area where everything was stored because I was caught sneaking things back into the house. Hey, I don't call my style clutter. I'm eclectic. Yeah, right.
We left family, friends, school, church, work and activities. Basically everyone we had weathered the "stuff" of life with. We realized how difficult this might be for our son, who was 10 years old at the time. One evening I couldn't find him for the longest time. I found him hiding under my husbands desk in his office. There he was in his Taikwando outfit all bunched up like a white Ninja ready to strike. You guessed it, someone had shown up to look at our house. He did come out and our son actually visited with the family and offered words that probably clinched the deal in selling our house. The man said "If you love your home this much, so will my children". Our son said "That's just great! I sold my own house!"
Note on that: He has adjusted very well in the new land. He has even been known to say words like fixin' and ya'll. After we were in the south for a bit we sometimes used these words and he would exclaim or should I say screech, "Noooooooooo, you've gone to the 'dark side'."
So dramatic.
Our traveling took on the appearance of a vacation. We had purchased one of those things that goes on the top of your vehicle to hold yet more stuff.
Note on that: Remove that "thing" before you try to park in any kind of building-type parking facility. Yes, one day I was next in line of an "I can't see the end" of cars and you guessed it we didn't fit. It took me a long time to get out of my car, walk down the entire length of cars and apologize as I asked each one to back up. I was really hoping to make friends.
Another Note: I remember doing something similar one time while Salmon fishing with my dad. I cast my line out and my line went over about eight other fisherman. It went kind of like this: excuse me, excuse me, excuse me, excuse, me.......................as I lifted my pole over their heads....................nope, didn't get my limit.
Anyway, we had two faithful companions along for the ride, our two dogs, an 80 pound Labrador AND an 8 pound Miniature Dachshund. I'm not sure if the Labrador thinks he's a Dachshund or the Dachshund thinks she's a Labrador. I just know that one of them squeaks when the other one steps on it.
We were totally into sight seeing. Naturally consulting my husbands STACK of maps, agendas
and schedules for interesting stops and "happening" events. (Or should I say at least one of us checked this endless pile of information. I am perfectly content to let the view from my window lead my adventure.) The entire trip did not have one rainy day. We were most grateful for a non "wet dog" smell in the car.
Also, being that we would be homeless if we didn't settle on a house, we were communicating with our realtor aaaaaaaallllllllll alooooooooooong the way! This did take a turn for a downside on the trip now and then. But really, there's only so much you can do until you can actually take a look at a house and ask the question "do you think the rooms really look like that color"?
Our travels began with the Holiday Christmas Season. We spent our first Christmas at Denny's with other folks that were there for whatever reason. I somehow got it in my head that ours was the only family that had Christmas dinner at a Denny's. Helloooooooooo! It happens, I just never thought about it before. People aren't weirdos because they eat holiday dinners in a restaurant. (Are they?) I had the urge to wonder all around the restaurant and ask everyone else why they were there. My family was hoping I would not do this. It just seemed so odd to me. Actually it was kind of amazing when I began to imagine and fit a story with the person as to why they might be there.
We crossed the state line on the first day of a new year. My husband gave thanks for this when he woke up from a good nap as he had gotten very sick the night before and the driving was left up to me. That's not too scary unless you remember what I said earlier that I merely look out the window while driving and like to go where it looks "pretty". He has since purchased me a navigational device.?!+)*#!?#$(!
What I wanted to say about all this is something about praying. I was praying for us to know the right house to buy and asking God for nice neighbors and neighborhood. Then of course we needed a place for our business. Our son needed to be in a school that had set academically high standards. And all of this had to be within a radius that would work for our family. Along with relocating we also needed doctors, dentists, veterinarians, stores, car insurance, etc. that comes with family life.
I was thinking; God this is a lot to pray about and ask of you. Since we believed with all our heart that we should move, we were trusting God to define our steps. At times it was overwhelming. He immediately spoke to my heart and said, "people are praying for you and your family to come into their lives!" I hadn't thought about it like that. I have since applied this thinking many times when I am praying for myself and others.
People pray for the right neighbor to move into that vacant house. There's a child that needs a friend next door. A lonely home bound woman needs a kind neighbor to stop in. There's a couple recently divorced and someone needs a kind ear and shoulder. The newlywed couple has just moved here from another land and suddenly this is the foreign country..........to them. There are teachers asking for new students with a desire to learn and to take leadership of organizations. A neighborhood needs our particular type of business to be near them. The young doctors needs new patients. The veterinarian has just moved his practice to your town to take care of a family member and needs new "critters" like yours to care for.
You thought your list of things you needed was endless.
Well, so is everybody else's.
If you have a need,
be prepared to meet a need that someone else has.
That's the other side of prayer.
September 2010
Denise Sherriff
