Summer of Blessings

The mop swept back and forth, polishing the memories that coated the house from top to bottom. I placed it back in the bucket and set it out on our front porch. The sunlight filtered through the windows, reflecting off the empty rooms, illuminating the interior that looked so different one month earlier. I paused in the doorway, looking around for the last time, soaking in the house that had been my home for eight years. Softly, I closed the door, shutting it on our ended story; a cherished home now awaited someone else’s beginning.

So many blessings – some bittersweet. Too many to count.

I remember the day our house came under contract. We were awestruck, awestruck at our God’s ability to sell our house, in need of a lot of TLC, with no sign, no realtor, no marketing. It had been listed on Zillow, looked at by three people, two had made offers, and the other wanted to come back for a second look – in one short, crazy week. Then it was over. Finished. Final.

Boy, our God is BIG.

Throughout the summer, God provided for us in so many ways. Our summer of blessings.

Such as:

When my parents first inquired about housing possibilities at Ellel, a staff member responded that they were unsure as to whether they could accommodate a family of seven on campus. We were facing the possibility of living off campus. My parents got down right then and there and prayed to God that, if it was His will, He would work out housing for us. An out of the blue email came from Ellel a month later saying that they had found accommodations for us, on campus, and it just so happened to house seven.

Once our house sold, our grandmother unselfishly opened up her large house for our family to move into for the summer until we leave.

Saying our last goodbyes to Lady

Since we were moving in with our grandmother, we were faced with the emotional and daunting task of searching for a home for our much loved border collie, Lady. A sweet family whose son attended my co-op contacted us about her. The couple’s son was turning sixteen and he had asked for a border collie-like dog for his birthday. The family owned over an acre of fenced land, another dog to befriend Lady, and lots of love to offer our beloved pet. Now Lady lives happily with them, much to our excitement and relief.

One of the main tasks that intimidated my parents was the process of finding a “nanny”. It’s funny that God isn’t at all intimidated by what seems very BIG to us. We actually ended up with not one, but two precious young ladies praying with us about going! Who would have guessed that a close friend of our family and mentor of mine would end up going with us? Our whole family was thrilled when Rachael Gallman accepted our official invite to take this journey to England alongside us.

Another blessing that occurred for me personally reaffirmed my trust in God’s care over everything – even the little things that mean so much to us. I’m a big volleyball player; I love the sport. One of the hardest things about leaving the country for me was facing the fact that I would be unable to play on my varsity volleyball team this season and next. As I was slowly coming to terms with this news, an amazing opportunity for me and my sister to help coach the Mt. Zion Warriors volleyball team arose. Since the regular coach for the Warriors  had resigned, the athletic director needed help teaching the young, inexperienced girls how to play. This whole summer and into the playing season, Kimry and I have been able to assist coaching these girls in the sport we both love and miss.

This is what happens when you sell all your furniture in the living room – yet you still have another week and a half before moving out. :-) Notice the pink fuzzy chair is our only means of sitting.

So many blessings, too many to count have filled our summer to overflowing. One of the biggest blessings our whole family received, was the innumerable family and friends who have come up alongside us and cooked us meals, invited us over, helped us pack, sacrificed their time for us, and given us overwhelming support for the adventure God has in store for us. We thank God for the incredible people who have helped us more than they could ever know.

Our summer of blessings, overwhelming, impossible blessings.

If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us? 

And if our God is with us, then what could stand against?