Five Minute Fridays make me happy! Joining in with, as Lisa-Jo calls it, this flash mob of writers is inspiring, encouraging and just plain awesome! Here are the rules of participation:
1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
3. And then absolutely, no ifs, ands or buts about it, you need to visit the person who linked up before you & encourage them in their comments. Seriously. That is, like, the rule. And the fun. And the heart of this community..
Today's prompt: Stay
We came to this inland southern California town with absolutely
no intention of staying. In fact,
as I paced our tiny box of a house in the scorching heat, I told my husband in
no uncertain terms that I didn’t WANT to stay after he graduated and could we
PLEASE move anywhere else, thank you very much!
Four years later my husband graduated and we took a
year-long position in what I thought of as a dream place to live: San
Diego. Beaches and museums and
cool summers, oh my!
But when we would make the hour and a half drive up to our
old inland city, I would sit in our little church there, tears running down my
cheeks, missing what now felt clearly in my heart like home.
We cast the job-search net wide the following year. I was praying/rooting for a Midwest
job. We got hired at a university
35 miles from that inland city my husband did his doctorate.
So we moved back to that place I had scorned and longed to
leave and it felt like slipping on a well-worn tee shirt, that fits just right
and feels so good.
That was seven years ago. There have been job searches every year since. We are always willing to go, to follow
God’s direction to some far-flung place.
But God has said, for now, that we should stay.
*********************
Time's up!
Oh I love it when God clearly directs like that.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also think God must sometimes shake His head at our wants and desires and how He already has that all worked out!
Stopping by from Lisa Jo's
Sometimes God says stay, sometimes He says GO. The gift is being able to listen. Great post. I hope you have "warmed up" to San Diego :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind comments, friends :). Julie, San Diego is now our favorite place to vacation! Having lived there for a year, we have our favorite restaurants, beaches and other fun activities. You are right, sometimes God does say GO! I remember when He told me to GO to the Midwest from California after college. That was my favorite GO so far!!
ReplyDeleteand how glad i am HE keeps saying "... no " he hee!
ReplyDelete