My life is no longer all about me. Today Justin and I dream of moving out west together. I cannot think of a better dream than moving with the love of my life back to the mountains. Although mountains are not outside my window now, I realize that I made the right choice and no job or location could ever replace my husband. I have never regretted my decision to marry Justin and, mountains or not, I never will.”
This paragraph concluded a previous article entitled Selflessness. Yet, there is, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. Or, at least, a continuation of the story up until this point in my life.
After living in New York for almost two years (three for my husband), we began to seriously look for a way to move west. We had quite a few reasons, but the main one was to live between my husband’s family in the Midwest and my parents in Alaska. Justin worked very hard in his job search, but even promising situations ended in disappointment. Justin let his manager know that we were looking to move and would like to transfer to another location. However, nothing panned out within the company. Throughout most of the job search, I remained optimistic and encouraging. But I hit a wall about the time we headed to see family for the fourth of July after a particularly big disappointment.
While driving back from vacation, I couldn’t help thinking that I really did not want to go home. I was ready for something else. Needless to say, over the next few weeks, this eternal optimist was very pessimistic and discouraged.
On July 28, Justin’s manager said something to him in passing about the possibility of working remotely from home. The next day, July 29, he mentioned it again. Two times in two days. This caught our attention. Out for dinner, we began to explore the possibility. We realized, with this option, we could move anywhere in the country. Over root beer and wood-oven pizza, my husband and I dreamed, Where would we go? We’ve never had another date quite like that one.
Before we knew it, we were on a flight to Colorado to visit the area we thought might work—Longmont, Colorado. In three days, we found a house to rent and signed a lease. On August 25, 2011, our caravan headed west. We stopped for some family time in Detroit before continuing on our way. On Monday, August 29, one month to the day since our dream began, we pulled up to our place in Colorado.
As I experienced what God was doing in our lives, I heard “ye of little faith.” I am ashamed to say that I doubted God. I doubted his power and his control in my life. I doubted that he could do what I saw as impossible. Through this experience I was utterly humbled.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Today I am thrilled to see mountains from the window of my home office. As much as I love the view and the life He has given us here in Colorado, I cherish even more the lesson of God’s faithfulness, might, and ultimate control in my life.
