Home Sweet Home

It has been a year since we've moved into our house. On top of that, I just talked to a family friend who is getting ready to move to this area and was asking how I like it here. All I could say was that "I love it!" My conversation with this friend got my mind going and thinking on how where we are, feels like home.

Ever since Jeff and I were married I have felt like we've been in transit. At first we were in college with a weekend ministry. Then after college we went to this small town to minister and Jeff was bi-vocational and there was even one year he was working three jobs. (The church, carpentry, and bus driving) Now Jeff felt like we would be there "for life", but I was pretty sure that God was going to move us on at some point. I'm saying all of this to get to, the seven years we were in that ministry and that town, I never felt like that was my home.

God then moved us on to SW Kansas. Jeff was now in full-time ministry. We bought our first house two months after we moved there. I liked it. I felt at home. I enjoyed the people, the church, the town, even though there had be some rough spots. At that point, I could see us raising our kids there. Once again, Jeff felt like we would be there for life, I still felt like God would more then likely move us on. Then 1 1/2 to 2 years into that ministry, something happened (which I won't get into the specifics) and at that very moment, was when I was no longer "home". I said, "I could leave this town and never look back, and there won't be one tear in my eye." (I do want to add that there are many people there that I love and I still call them friends, my issue was with a very small, select group of people.) After 4 1/2 years there, God did call us on.

After Jeff resigned, we felt like we were in limbo for a full year. Things didn't seem to be "opening up" for us. Several churches were very interested in Jeff, but we knew that those churches were not the places God was calling us.

Then we came here for an interview, and we felt a connection from that first weekend. Now there was still a couple of months after that where we were really wondering what God was doing and where He wanted us. But we then were given a definite "Yes!" from God, to all our prayers of where we were to go.

From day 1, we felt at home here in Colorado. The longer we've been here the more I think of this as home. Now I think Jeff has learned not to say that "we'll be here for life", but he feels that this is "our life's ministry." This is what God has worked us up to. All those tough things we've gone through, all the pain, was to bring us here. We are two different people then we were 15 years ago, even then we were 3 years ago.

It truly is awesome to look back and to see the pieces all fit together. To see "why" we went through what we did. To see the faithfulness of God through the good times and bad. To think of all the friends we've made through the years. To know that He has placed us where we are and blessed us over and over. We are "home sweet home"!