This is a good sign...

Sold! This is a good sign. A very good sign. This whole process has been overwhelming, as least for me. Jeff, on the other hand, has been as cool as a cucumber the entire time. He says things to me like, "You know God's going to take care of us, don't you?" or "You know everything is going to be okay, right?". Yes, yes, I know, but I've be worried since we found out that we were moving last September about everything....Who will be our realtor? What should our asking price be? What improvements should we make to the house? How much will improvements cost? When should we put the house on the market? How long will it be on the market? How on earth will I keep the house tidy with a dog and a 1-year-old? Where will we go when there are showings at random times throughout the day? How should we negotiate? Where will we stay between closing day and Jeff's last day of residency? And so on and so on. And never mind all of the concerns I had about moving to St. Louis. There's a whole other set of questions that ran through my mind with that prospect. Will we find a safe place to live? Can we find a place to rent in our budget that is decent and will take a dog? Will Jeff be stuck in traffic for hours each day?  Will I love our new home as much as I have loved this one? Am I even going to like the city? And what about friends? Blah, blah, blah. The questions and worry plagued my mind (and if I'm being totally honest, they still do if I don't keep them at bay). Every time something gets settled I seem to move on to another concern, big or small. I've had to continually remind myself that worrying will do no good and that in fact my worry is evidence that I am not trusting God. And why shouldn't I trust Him??? If He takes care of the birds of the air and the flowers in the field, will he not also provide for us? Of course He will. I've known that in my head through this entire process. But I've had such a hard time letting go and just trusting that God has a plan for us and will make a way for us.

Looking back on everything that has happened in the last year, from Jeff's interviews for fellowship to seeing that red sign in our front yard today, it is so easy for me to see how God has laid out a path for us and has provided for us. And all the while I was so wrapped up in my self-reliance that I was unaware of how He was orchestrating everything. Our house is no longer for sale (and I don't have to hide Benjamin's toys every time we leave the house!). My parents are going to let me stay with them after the house closes until we officially move to St. Louis. Jeff is going to a great job. We're moving to a city that I've discovered is actually quite family friendly and not so scary as I thought. Our new landlord seems like a nice, reasonable guy. I already have a dear friend who recently moved to St. Louis. She just happened to find out that her husband was being stationed there right after we heard that was where we were headed. The house we found is in a beautiful, quiet, safe neighborhood and will have plenty of room for our growing family.

I love our home and our neighborhood. I love this city. And I love the friends that we have made here. I'll be sad to say goodbye to the last 3 years of our lives here in this place, but God's faithfulness through this whole process gives me confidence to know that He has a plan for us in this next chapter of our lives.

Thank you, Lord, for showing your faithfulness to me even when my faith was wavering. You are so good.