A Year Ago We Moved to Atlanta...

It was a year ago today that my husband and I packed all our belongings into boxes, shoved them into a moving truck, and drove 1,000 miles to our new home in Atlanta. Even when we were strategically piling wedding presents and parcels onto the truck, we had no idea what really would await us down South. We had no idea what this new life would look like; it all was pretty much in the air. It was our first real leap of faith together as a couple.

As most of you know, my husband and I met and dated long-distance for the first 10 months of our courtship. He had long-intended to spend his summer in Grand Rapids with me, but when we got engaged and decided to get married over the summer, we had a decision to make: Stay in Michigan or move to Atlanta?

There were benefits and drawbacks to each option:

In Michigan, I had a well-paying, full-time job with good benefits. In this economy, that is not to be taken lightly. 

However, it would mean having to figure out an alternative for Michael finishing up college. Ultimately, our goal is that when we start our family, he will be the breadwinner so that I can stay home and raise our kids (which is the way both of us were raised and has been my heart’s desire for raising my own family). So it was very important that we not delay him finishing up his degree and getting a job, plus he was studying to be a teacher and the teaching market is pretty nonexistent in Michigan, so we guessed that eventually we’d have to move anyway for him to find a job. (Turns out the teaching market in Georgia is no better!)

Moving to Atlanta, though, was full of question marks. Michael would be able to finish up his last year in college, uninterrupted. He had a scholarship that would cover his entire tuition, which we both consider a great perk because we want to keep our debt to a minimum--even if it is “good debt.” However, it would mean me leaving my job and us not knowing what we would do for income or how we would get by.

Once Michael moved to Grand Rapids, we spent the first month praying about this decision until we ultimately decided to make the decision in favor of our future rather than our current circumstances: We would move to Atlanta.

Now, at the time, as I was praying through it, I didn’t feel that we had to move to Atlanta. I really felt like God impressed upon me that both decisions were good decisions and either one would be OK. 

However, the Atlanta decision was a greater leap of faith while staying in Grand Rapids would mostly be made out of fear of the unknown. And I don't want to live based on fear. With that on my heart, we decided in favor of moving to Atlanta.

And I have to say it was a great decision. 

Time after time, God has awed me with his provision and blessing during this move, from a surprisingly steady income to enough wedding money to pay for our entire move down here, and then some. 

We continue to thank God for each day he has given us, our manna that provides us with our daily bread. Leaping into the fog of question marks has been an incredible lesson for us, and a great way to start off our marriage, if you ask me. We're still walking through those question marks, but each time we do, God always comes to the rescue and, in doing so, builds my faith more and more.


Though we still don’t know what awaits us or how this will all work out, we continue to trust that he will be faithful to his Word and his name: Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider.

Related Posts
Discerning God's Will for Your Life
Decision-Making: Out of Fear or Faith?

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A Handy Resource for Discerning God's Will for Your Life

When I was trying to figure out whether to move to Grand Rapids or not, I sat down with the youth pastor at our church who I volunteered with (and who later introduced me and Michael and officiated our wedding). We went through why I wanted to move and I remember saying something about wanting to do God's will.

He shared a great illustration with me about how he understands this idea of God's will: Picture God's will as a big golf-style umbrella. Though the umbrella is small compared to the storm outside, it's big enough for you to stand various places under the umbrella. And so long as you're under the umbrella, you'll be kept dry from the rain. There's not just one, single spot and if you're not standing directly under it, you'll be pelted with thunderbolts. Rather, God is merciful and gives us options of where to stand under the umbrella of "his will."

This was the first time someone had introduced me to the concept of God's will as being one that is freeing rather than one that is confusing and condemning.

Last winter, I read an article that I found particularly insightful. In it, the author shares basic insights into discerning God's will. He points out that much of what God cares about most, he has revealed to us in the Bible--sure he cares about what job you take, but what he cares about most is your heart and your relationship with him. The author says, "Much of God's will has already been made plain....We must be willing to do his will in those things he has already revealed, if we are to know his will in those things he has not yet made known."

He then goes on to remind us that God usually doesn't make everything plain upfront, but leads us (often times unnoticably) as we go along. "However much we would like to know things in advance, there is no need for it. God wants us to trust him to open the right doors at the right time. And if we get to a door and it doesn't open, maybe God is asking us to wait as he has some more work to do on us first. Or maybe he is turning us in another direction," the author writes.

He also encourages readers to remember that God has gifted us with wisdom for a reason--and expects us to use it. "If God gives us wisdom to know what is the best path to take, that is just as much his guidance as giving us some special sign. This may involve hard work in grappling with issues, seeking advice and weighing up the options; but all this is part of our growing up."

Finally, he lists some of the things to consider as we weigh a decision with wisdom: What is God saying to me through the Bible? Do I have "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" in regards to this decision? What do other godly Christians say about this decision? Are circumstances aligning to open doors or are they pulling closed?

(You can read the article in it's entirety here.)

I've found these reminders especially encouraging, as I find myself looking to the future, and wondering where God will have me. What's his will for me in all this?

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Decision-Making: Out of Fear or Faith?

photo by chany14

Want to know something funny about how God works?

Remember when I got the job offer that I ended up turning down? Only days before my second interview with them when they offered me the job, I received an email from the company I'm currently freelancing for, extending my contract by at least two months. That probably doesn't sound like a lot of time to anyone else, but for me, living on the knowledge of only one month at a time, that's luxury. My entire definition of stability has been overhauled and having more than 30 days, well that's more stability than I've known in quite awhile!

Having that knowledge made it easier for me to turn the job down, knowing that it wasn't (at least for the time being), this crummy, queasiness-inducing offer or nothing. It made it easier for me to step out in faith and say "no" even when logic might compel someone to decide otherwise.

I’ve learned a thing or two over the past year and a half when it comes to big decisions like this one…

I remember, two summers ago, trying to decide whether to take a job in a new state where I knew no one. I remember being scared to take it, what if it didn't work out? But I also had been witness to God going before me and opening this door, and I knew that I couldn't turn back now, just because of fear. I stepped out in faith and took the job and moved to Michigan.

I remember this past summer, when Michael and I were getting married and trying to decide whether to move to Atlanta or stay in Michigan. This time it was different though, because it wasn't clear either way; there were pros and cons to each. I felt like God, rather than closing one door and opening the other, was, this time, opening both as viable options and saying, "This time, you get to choose." And as I thought more about this decision, I started to hone in on this idea of fear. The idea of moving to Atlanta, leaving all "security" behind, was the scary decision, calling for a bigger leap of faith. And I realized I didn't want to make a decision based on fear. And so we ended up packing up and moving to Atlanta.

Those two life-changing decisions, made less than a year apart, have had an incredible impact on me and came into play with this job offer decision. I recognized that I would only take the job based on fear, fear of not knowing where my next paycheck might come from when this freelancing gig dries up. "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." I think there's a lot of truth to that statement, and I'm trying to learn to not let fear steer me in my decision making but instead walk by faith. And, as He's shown me in these previous examples and time and time again throughout my life, God has not let me down yet when I do.

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Turning Down the Job: And Lessons I Learned About Marriage

I wrote yesterday's post on Monday night, hours after I'd received a job offer and had less than 24 hours to decide on my answer. 'Yes' or 'No.' It seems easy enough, but I've always struggled with indecision--from which restaurant to eat at to which pair of jeans to wear out. This decision had much greater ramifications, and so it was a struggle I wrestled through with tears.

As you might guess, in the end, Michael and I decided our answer was, 'No.'

Fortunately, for Michael, the decision was not nearly as difficult to make as it was for me. He looked at in on paper and saw that the benefits did not match up and that it wasn't something I was excited about, and so he had his answer. Me, on the other hand, I wondered about "What if this is our only option?" "What will we do?" and about how the company would take it, what would people think, etc.

This is one of the things I love about marriage. As I was weak in this moment, fretting and crying and worrying myself over and over again, Michael was strong and confident. Even though I wasn't sure in my own decision or opinion, I could lean on his wisdom. "Everything is going to be okay," he would promise me. "It's all going to be okay." With those words, with that confidence that this one decision wouldn't ruin our lives forever, he was able to soothe me.

And the next morning, he prayed over me and then I picked up the phone and told them that unfortunately we had to decline the offer. Though it was a very hard decision to make on the one hand (not knowing what will come next), it was a beautiful moment in our marriage, as I learn more and more every day to trust this man with my heart, my life and our future. I know that he meant it when he vowed to me, "I promise you my love."

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Discerning God's Will for Your Life: Some basic principles to guide you

photo by eternal

One of the things that I feel like God has been shepherding me through over the past year is understanding the illusive idea of "God's will." We hear people talk about this so much, but how do we really know what he wants us to do, particularly when it comes down to grey areas like "Should I take this job or that job?" or "Should I speak up and say something about her choices?"

When I was trying to figure out whether to move to Grand Rapids or not, I sat down with the youth pastor at our church who I volunteered with (and who later introduced me and Michael and officiated our wedding). We went through why I wanted to move and I remember saying soemthing about wanting to do God's will. He shared a great illustration with me about how he understands this idea of God's will: Picture God's will as a big golf-style umbrella. Though the umbrella is small compared to the storm outside, it's big enough for you to stand various places under the umbrella. And so long as you're under the umbrella, you'll be kept dry from the rain. There's not just one, single spot and if you're not standing directly under it, you'll be pelted with thunderbolts. Rather, God is merciful and gives us options of where to stand under the umbrella of "his will."

This was the first time someone had introduced me to the concept of God's will as being one that is freeing rather than one that is confusing and condemning.

Last winter, I read an article that I found particularly insightful. In it, the author shares basic insights into discerning God's will. He points out that much of what God cares about most, he has revealed to us in the Bible--sure he cares about what job you take, but what he cares about most is your heart and your relationship with him. The author says, "Much of God's will has already been made plain....We must be willing to do his will in those things he has already revealed, if we are to know his will in those things he has not yet made known."

He then goes on to remind us that God usually doesn't make everything plain upfront, but leads us (often times unnoticably) as we go along. "However much we would like to know things in advance, there is no need for it. God wants us to trust him to open the right doors at the right time. And if we get to a door and it doesn't open, maybe God is asking us to wait as he has some more work to do on us first. Or maybe he is turning us in another direction," the author writes.

He also encourages readers to remember that God has gifted us with wisdom for a reason--and expects us to use it. "If God gives us wisdom to know what is the best path to take, that is just as much his guidance as giving us some special sign. This may involve hard work in grappling with issues, seeking advice and weighing up the options; but all this is part of our growing up."

Finally, he lists some of the things to consider as we weigh a decision with wisdom: What is God saying to me through the Bible? Do I have "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding" in regards to this decision? What do other godly Christians say about this decision? Are circumstances aligning to open doors or are they pulling closed?

(You can read the article in it's entirety here.)

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Learning to embrace where God was calling me--even when it was the last thing I wanted to do

photo by manunited 

Two winters ago, I was chaperoning our youth group to a teen conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I remember we were in the auditorium and as the band was playing a song, one line stuck out to me: “Where you lead me, I will follow….Even if I walk alone, Lord, this I choose to do,” As I sang along, the reality of that lyric hit me. And I prayed, God I love you, but please don’t make me go anywhere by myself. Please don’t make me have to do it alone. Please don’t…

Six months later, I was packing my belongings in boxes, preparing to move to a new city, for a new job…by myself. And yet, now, I was now doing it willingly, even enthusiastically. God had changed my heart: He made me excited about this change and impressed upon me, time and time again, that this was what I needed to do. Even though it was scary, he equipped me with all the courage I needed to overcome this fear.

I learned a lot from that experienced, but what I especially learned was how good God is. I think many of us are afraid that God is going to make us do things we don’t want to do--he’s going to call the person who loves small, hometown life and send her off to be a missionary in Africa. Or he’s going to make someone else who loves to dance, stop dancing. This is a grave misunderstanding of who God is. God loves us. He does not delight in making us miserable. And that’s the fear many of us hold in our hearts.

As I learned from my experience, even when God does call you to do that which is completely unnatural to you, he helps you reach the point to where you can embrace it--where you know it’s good for you. God even says that he will give us the desires of our heart. He is good. And anything that he is calling us to is for our own good.  I truly believe that, if we trust him and an idea of what he’s calling us toward, that he will fill in the gap of fear we might have and he’ll make the path straight.

For me, my journey to doing the unthinkable and moving to Michigan by myself was a long road: First I got the idea of finding a job in the Christian publishing world. Then I made a new friend who was talking about moving to Grand Rapids with another friend. Lo and behold, there are three Christian publishers in the little town of Grand Rapids. As it turns out, one of those publishers is the only company who asked to interview me and then give me a job. But around this time, my friend found another opportunity in another city to explore and though I was scared of being on my own, God had given me a heart of courage and a deep sense of peace regarding this decision. I encouraged her to go to Kansas City instead, and suddenly found myself living out the lyrics I had once prayed so adamantly against.

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