Time to move

This past week has been a crazy one. Monday, June 11, we left our home in Coarsegold, CA, and started our long drive to Wisconsin. Except it didn't exactly happen the way we planned. At all. First, we had planned to leave on Sunday but decided to postpone it a day because we wanted more time to clean. Second, we had planned on stopping in the Grand Canyon briefly on our way to our first stop in Blanding, UT. Catlyn and I were with the cats in one car, while Steve and Hannah were in the other. All ready to go only a little late, we jumped into the cars and...click, click, click. The Santa Fe would not start. An hour and a half later, after a jump start, we were off, deciding the Grand Canyon would have to wait for another time. Praise the Lord for girls who are easygoing. They were fine with not being able to stop there. Then there were the cats. We thought they would be happier with two in one cage and the other skittish one by herself in a smaller carrier. The meowing would not stop, then there were...messier, stinkier issues. After stopping and cleaning everything up, putting all three cats back in one cage with a brilliantly (by Steve) manufactured litter box, we were happily on the road again. Miraculously, the cats calmed down immediately and slept curled up together. An unheard of feat. We arrived very late, very exhausted in Blanding, UT, at nearly 11:30pm. The next morning, we were up early, ready to head to Grand Island, NE. Nope. The Santa Fe again would not start. After having to wait for an auto parts store to open, Steve bought and installed a new battery, and we were off again. After the previous stressful day and little sleep, Catlyn was not feeling well. After an emergency stop on the side of the road and some cleaning up, we realized driving all the way to Nebraska was going to be too difficult. Steve canceled our hotel in Grand Island, found a hotel in Denver, (less than 5 hours away) and arranged for us to stay at Twin Lakes Bible Camp where we had worked for 4 1/2 years and where Catlyn was born. Shortening our days was exactly what we needed. We spent a semi-relaxing evening in our (barely passable) hotel room and washed rugs and blankets soiled by the cats. After breakfast we headed out for a 10-hour drive to Twin Lakes. It was long, but manageable as we looked forward to cheese curds at Twin Lakes Groceries. Despite the thunderstorm, we slept well and awoke refreshed. After spending some quality time with old friends, we were off with just 8 1/2 hours to go. The drive through Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin reminded me how much I love trees. I have missed the warm, green trees of Washington and these were so similar. Catlyn laughed at me as I said it felt like a big, warm hug. Not something most people would attribute to trees. :) Our arrival at our temporary home in Florence, WI, was very welcome, and even more so because of the amazing abundance of groceries, provisions, and comforts waiting for us there.
This trip was nothing like we had planned. We thought we had all the stops and hours planned out, but we forgot God's plans are greater. We forgot to add "God willing" to our plans. We missed the Grand Canyon, there were times of yelling and lost patience, and there was stress. Because we forgot. God has our lives in His hands. He knows what we can handle, and He knows what is best. When we forge ahead with no regard for His leading, we miss out. The hours were beautiful when I chose to focus on the incredible land God created. They were miserable when I focused on being impatient, angry, and stressed. Life is the same way. We did not choose to be torn from our church and school families in California. It was not our plan to move halfway across the country to a relatively unknown land. But it was God's. I can choose to be sad, homesick, and bitter, or I can let that all go and embrace the plan God has for us. I choose God. I am excited to be here though this home is temporary, our stuff is not here, and I know only the people I briefly met on Sunday. I'm following God, though I'm far away from my dad right now when he has just lost his brother. I'm looking forward to whatever God has for us in this new chapter of our lives, even though I have absolutely no idea what that entails. He will provide, as He always has. And He will bless us when we follow Him in every area of our lives.