Official Mobile residents

Well, it's official. We're Mobile residents...again. After a much needed week of rest and time with our families, we drove into town on Sunday afternoon. Monday was a day of busy beavers...we had new carpet installed, the internet connected, and the gas turned on. While all of that was going on Haley was playing with a friend and I started scrubbing. You know, 1100 sq ft may not seem like much until you scrub it Cinderella style. That's right, Toby and I scrubbed two years of gunk from the floor on our hands and knees until 11pm last night. But man, what a difference that made. We can now walk around barefoot in this house for the first time in three years! That alone makes this place feel a little more like home.

Since we had new carpet and hot water, we opted to spend the night at our new house last night. Our furniture will not arrive until the end of September, so we're "roughin it" in the meantime with air mattresses, a mini fridge and card table. I praise God that Haley hasn't missed a beat. Although she's been a bit more clingy than usual, she thinks this adventure is great...always talking about "goin' to the new house" and running through the empty place like it's her playground. She even slept in a big girl bed for the first time this afternoon. We figured while we're forcing her into this huge transition of a new house, we might as well make it a little bigger and take away her crib. So far it's going great...ask me in a few days if I'm still excited about it. :)

Our first night here was much more emotional for me than I expected. It all started when I went to Wal-Mart for a few last minute items while Toby brought Haley home. As I stood in the forever long line I looked around at the familiar store. I know that a Wal-Mart is a Wal-Mart, but I've learned lately...not so much. The Wal-Mart in fancy Farragut, TN was always well lit, clean, organized and fully stocked. The other shoppers and cashiers exchanged an easy smile and friendly greeting. Despite the usual chaos of any Wal-Mart, that shopping trip was almost always pleasant. The Wal-Mart here in Saraland was very unorganized and many of the shelves sat empty or roughly rummaged. It was rare to make eye contact with anyone, much less see a smile. At 8pm the atmosphere was chaotic with people yelling (not in anger, just a normal tone of conversation) at other members of their party or their children with lines stretched far into the open space. Now, I have never considered myself a "shopping snob" and have been proud to shop wherever I need to, regardless of the environment, but last night was a totally different experience. It was so overwhelmingly obvious that Satan has a hold on this city. Not just Saraland, but the whole county. Generally speaking, people are just more bitter here, and it's stifling. I know that this is one of the many reasons God has brought us back here. To be a bright and shining light for Jesus in this place. To spread His love like wildfire and watch Him melt hearts of stone. I can't wait for the adventure to unfold.

I can look at this objectively now, but on my way home last night, all I could think of was "I want to go home." Home to where we were surrounded by tons of godly people who loved us dearly. Home to where we had our routine and our church. Home to where we had a big, spacious, beautiful house. Even though we've been here before, this place we're living now is not home...not yet. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God has brought us here. And I know that He will make it okay.

Even in this state of homesickness, He has already given me some beautiful gifts...divine appointments to remind me of His love for me. Toby always worries about me when we have people come to the house to do work when he's not here, so naturally yesterday's events were unnerving for him. However, the carpet guys, the crew that was here most of the day, turned out to be a sweet Jesus gift. The two guys were 18 and 23, have laid carpet with their dad as long as they can remember, and were the nicest guys. In fact, they moved here from Athens, TN (not far from where we were) about five years ago because their daddy is a preacher and took on a pastorship not far from here. Coincidence? I think not. Another sweet moment...I went to campus this morning to get Toby's textbook for his class, and because traditional classes do not start until next week, the campus was a ghost town. While I was wandering around campus, looking for his classroom, I started chatting with the lone soul around. After a minute or two we made the connection that he's Toby's teacher! He gave me a copy of the syllabus, invited me to join the lectures any time, and even walked me to the bookstore and handed me the textbook I was looking for. Again...what are the odds that the one person I'd chat with on a vacant campus would be Toby's professor? My Jesus doesn't do coincidences...He set those people in my path to remind me that even though we've "made the big move" He's still here with me, walking me through every step of every day. He's not going to bring us this far and then walk away...that's simply not how He works.

So when the lonely days come and the homesick days seem unbearable, I will choose to remember that He will make all things good. He told me a few months ago..."you can't even imagine the amazing things I have planned for you." I'm clinging to that promise, and will remember that not too long ago we were new to Tennessee with no friends, no church and no routine and just look at how He blessed us then. I know He'll do it here as we start again...