Reality Check

Our new church is giving us a nice amount of money to cover moving expenses. With 2 months left on our current lease, the cost of a rental truck, and other things this is awesome! We even had planned, after budgeting everything out, on spending leftover money on purchasing some new furniture - adios hand-me-down furniture, hello adult furniture!

Instead, I say hold on a minute furniture, hello unforseen bills! A trip to the dentist, expensive repairs on Andy's car (which isn't worth it so we're selling it and going to be a 1 car family - again - for a bit), and more means what we thought was smooth sailing became a bit of a rough sea. But oddly enough, Andy and I both have a peace. We know God has called us to move to DBBC and we couldn't be more excited! We know that Chattanooga is EXACTLY where God has placed us, and He knew these circumstances long before us. That doesn't mean though that I'm not confused and frustrated by these new hiccups.

And so as Christmas is just 6 days away and our move is 8 days away and these things have all taken place, I think of Mary. Mary (and Joseph for that matter) had everything figured out. She was engaged to a great man, a carpenter who was good at his trade. They would have a nice, comfortable life together full of love - content with whatever God blessed them with. She was looking forward to her wedding day and the start of a new life with the man she had come to love and respect. Life was coming together and it seemed perfect. And then life took a turn no one would have ever imagined. Angels, virgin births, giving birth in a stable - those things are crazy, and definitely not part of the life Mary would lead...right? In a moment, everything she and Joseph knew - every ounce of stability and roots - were yanked away and a new version of perfect began. A Perfect that Mary never imagined having. She became the mother to the Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah! She did - a teenage girl who was just going about life day dreaming of her wedding day trying to live a life pleasing to her Lord!

And once again perspective is restored to my life. No, I'm not giving birth to the Son of God, but we are uprooting ourselves to serve Him. And we haven't had angels come, and thank goodness I didn't give birth to Reed in a stable (can I get an amen?), but things have taken a surprising turn. But like Mary, I know that God's ways are so much bigger than mine, and I would much rather He receive the glory that me. So I will rest, and trust, and most importantly "be still and know" that He is God!