Saying Goodbye to Tiny Town
Source: goo.gl via shelia on Pinterest
Moving is pretty well always chaotic, isn’t it? Unless you’re one of those uber-organized freaks people that colour-codes and inventories everything perfectly and doesn’t ever just label the last 20 boxes as “stuff”. Personally, I usually fall somewhere in the middle – I dream of beautifully organized and non-chaotic moves every time but the realities of life always seem to get in the way.
In our little house on the prairie, the chaos has already arrived and gotten comfy. In just four weeks we are leaving Tiny Town and moving back to our home city – a move of about 2000 miles across the country. Goodbye Tiny Town, with a population of a few thousand. Hello largest city in the country with a population of well over six million.
It may seem that our family is addicted to making major life changes and transitions. With plans to move to our son’s fifth, sixth, and seventh home on the horizon (he’s not even four years old yet), we’re not quite sure what stability and predictability would feel like, let alone just simply living in one house for more than 18 months at a time.
We will be continuing that trend with two temporary homes (living with family) before finally finding our own place next spring, which also will be temporary as we save for a down-payment on a house.
It’s true though – our time here in Tiny Town was limited from the beginning. This is not where we ever planned to live forever. We came here 2.5 years ago for my husband’s education (flight training). That has now finished and he has begun the long and arduous task of building up his hours by flight instructing at the school from which he graduated.
Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this flight school cannot provide enough hours for him to work and make ends meet (he only gets paid when he actually flies with a student). Over the last few months after hours and hours of discussion and wrestling, we have concluded that a change was necessary for our family.
There’s one small hitch in our plan, however. We will be arriving in the Big City unemployed. Due to the way the aviation industry works, and the last few months of interviews, emails, etc. with a couple of flight schools in our desired area, we believe that hubby has a much better chance of getting hired if we are there in the Big City and able to start right away (as opposed to the three weeks it would take to pack up and move across the country on short notice).
Yeah. Unemployed. Let’s just let that sink in for a moment, shall we?
So, in addition to the fact that we have a newborn (he’s 4 weeks old today!), two other young children, financial stress, the grieving of hubby’s Grandad who passed away yesterday, packing for a cross-country move, and the leaving and grieving of the lives we’ve built here in Tiny Town… we now add unemployment to our list. We are a wee bit stressed, I guess you could say.
There’s also another little piece of the puzzle that has been difficult for us to process over the last little while.
Since 2006 we have been and planning and dreaming about going overseas as a missionary pilot family, however recent changes in our mission’s policies have closed that door for us. (We are already accepted full-term and serving in a part-time capacity on missionary support here in Alberta doing administrative work for the head office.) Our future as overseas missionaries is now quite uncertain, and we are not sure what the future holds.
It is possible that we could go overseas with a different organization, but right now we are grieving the closing of the door we had planned to walk through for the last six years. We are questioning. We are a little bit disillusioned. We are frustrated. And yet we are still firmly believing in God’s goodness and grace in our lives. Our desire to be counter-cultural Jesus-followers has not waned, and so we press on. We know this for sure: His grace is enough for a couple of Generation Y’ers who are totally in love with Christ, with a penchant for adventure and radical living, who are also a little bit disillusioned with the human side of the church and Christian ministry.
There are many changes looming ahead for our little family.
(Side note: we may be in serious danger of losing our “little family” designation – when Canaan was just a few days old we were sitting in a restaurant after a midwife appointment. A random lady walked by, looked at our family, and exclaimed “Wow, that’s a lot of kids!”. I wish I were kidding…)
No neat and tidy ending here… and that’s really the point, isn’t it? The amount of unknowns and crazy possibilities ahead is staggering. We are maxed out on major life changes right now, and I am learning huge lessons on taking one day at a time, trusting God for my future instead of worrying about it.
If you are the praying type, would you please pray for my beloved kiddos? Canaan’s happy whenever he’s close to mama of course, but the other two are definitely noticing and feeling the stress. Their whole world is crashing down, as the furniture we sell gets carried out of the house, as the cardboard boxes start to appear, as Mommy and Daddy are bickering with each other a little bit extra.
Today Canaan is 4 weeks old, and in 4 weeks time the moving truck will be pulling out of the driveway.
Prayers and frequent reminders to *breathe* would be appreciated.
I hope the moving process is coming along OK. And sorry to hear about Chris’ Grampa. Know that you will be in our prayers as you move, seek to fit into extended family situations, seek a job, etc. This is a familiar verse but it helps me realize that I do not have to have all the answers. God will take care of you. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Thanks for the encouragement, and thank for the prayers!
Praying that all the prep for the move – and the new direction your lives will take together – will all come together in His good time
Definitly will pray for you guys. Your hearts are in the right place and so open to be used by God that I know he’ll put you right where he needs you to be. Good luck with the packing. We just moved in May with three kiddos running around. I can’t imagine it with a newborn or so many miles away. We only moved 5 minutes down the road so I didn’t have to be too fussy about taking up very little space.
Yeah, I think the chaos is inevitable. I do believe we’ll survive though… I hope
Living through my own bit of chaos here…breathe. I’ll be praying for you and your family. And Our God Is Able!
Thank-you. Prayers for you as well…
Beth, that is an enormous amount on your plate right now! I am also one who hates moving house, and just throws everything in boxes without actually sorting it first. Praying for peace and grace and strength and energy for you in particular… and also for Chris and your older two.
Keep breathing mama!
Thank-you for your encouragement! Yours words really mean so much to me
Oh my goodness I understand about making one big change after another! My husband and I have lived in three countries in our five years of marriage, had one child in Hungary and are expecting our second here in Ottawa (we’re from the States so it’s still ‘abroad’) and will probably live in several more countries before we settle somewhere. It is chaotic, it is messy, and sometimes I wonder what we’re doing. But every time I begin to question I see God’s provision and His hand guiding me though I don’t know exactly where He’s leading. It is hard not to worry but the doors He opens are pretty incredible. It’s worth the times of uncertainty. I’m excited to read about how God cares for your family and you are definitely in my prayers!
Wow, you have such a fantastic perspective and attitude about such a lot of changes and transitions. Thanks for the great encouragement!
Oh, I’ll be praying for your family. I’m also excited that you will be that much closer to us
I know what unemployed major moves can be like but it will be ok. Blessings friend.
Yup, only a (long) day’s drive to you! (Or to my grandparents’ and then a few hours to you… details, details…)
Road trip in my future? Perhaps
You’d best get to us too, on this road trip of yours!
Bethala,
Just reading this and hearing your news. Here are a couple of verses to encourage your soul during this time.
”Do not be anxious about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which
surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in
Christ Jesus” -Philippians 4:6-7
”Fear not, for I am with you; be not
dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I
will uphold you with my righteous right hand” -Isaiah 41:10
Praying that the Lord will comfort and strengthen your family as your transition and begin the journey back home. On a more selfish note, I am so looking forward to seeing you when your back and meeting your newest bundle of joy. Lots of hugs and love to you all. God is with you
Thank-you so much for those verses, Tricia – they are absolutely perfect. I should be reading those words each and every day. Looking forward to seeing you again!
Absolutely praying for you guys.
Thanks, Les! xo.
God give you strength and courage for each day ahead, Beth. Praying for you.
Thanks for your prayers!!
Oh, I could also bring up the girls during the week to help – but I’m not sure how much help that would be. I could entertain kids whilst you guys pack/clean, or you could entertain kids whilst I carefully adhere to a list you give me… let me know.
Boo!!! We’ll miss our annual camping trips. That said, I think I’ve been expecting this for a little while…
How can we help? We will be out of town this weekend and the next, but could probably come up for a day over the August long weekend – if that would be helpful rather than crazy. We’d love to see you once more before you head east. You and all your lots of kids. Ha ha. (When I was carrying 20 month old Sara and 8 months pregnant with Aliyah, one lady exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, you are going to be so, so busy!” – as if two in two years is totally unreasonable. Good grief. Crazy culture).
Let me know if there’s anything we can do.
I’m sorry to hear about the doors closing on your dreams (at least, in the near-ish future) for aviation ministry. We pray and hope that those doors will open again, knowing God could use you beautifully anywhere you are.
Crystal! We will definitely miss our camping trips too – those were some fabulous times and memories
YES! Come for a day on the August long wknd. Any day works for us. Just know that we don’t have any guest beds anymore (sold them), so would you be coming for just the day? Also, I think Chris’s parents will be here… but it would still be great to hang out with you for a day!
I will miss you all very much; the TH will lose some of its sweetness … Praying that God will open those doors and give you His peace in this time of transition.
We will miss the TH (& the tea bag) so very much!! xo.
I heard. I am praying. (((hugs))) God IS good, He knows your needs and your future, keep leaning on Him.
Love,
Krista
Thanks Krista. He certainly IS good, it’s true!
So excited you are coming back, but feeling for the stress you must be going through. Praying that God will make the move easy on your family and that Chris will find the job that God would have for him here. Its always hard when everything you have been working towards gets pulled from under you and leaves you with so many questions about the future. Being a control freak I can relate to how hard that is
Cannot wait to get together with you guys and meet your new little one, when you have recooperated from the move!
Thanks Serena – yup the control freak thing is tough to give up on. It’s a daily thing, really. Can’t wait to see you guys again!
Maybe a little bit of that stress, frustration and even concern will deminish or even melt a little when you arrive back in Ontario in 4 weeks are are surrounded by old friends and family who are excited to have you back in the intimate circle of their everyday lives. We cannot wait to see you, meet Canaan, and help you ‘settle’ in. And of course you know, or at least by now you should know by now, that if you need any help, and help at all, with unpacking, with money, with anything on the grand scale of things that you might be needing help with, you know you can rely on us to help without hesitation or question.
I am excited to be surrounded by family and old friends once again. It’s been far too long. Thanks for your offers for help… can’t wait to see you. My first request is a good hug. xoxo.
I wish we were closer (not long now) to help you ‘focus’ & pack…but then again it is probably a good thing
We can’t wait to see you guys (& meet Canaan!!). You are all in our thoughts & prayers as you guys prepare for this big change for your family with all those kids (seriously?!?! 3 isn’t that many!).
Love you all!
hehe – focus! xo.