Kicking on Closed Doors

Several days ago we made the decision to move to a small town in north central Kansas.  For those of you who don't know our story, we returned to Northwest Iowa after Jeff lost his job in Wisconsin.  Iowa was a temporary stay and we knew we would eventually relocate again once we were back on our feet financially.  That was two and a half years ago.   

I had hoped to return to Wisconsin, but that wasn't an option for Jeff.  We had no idea where we should begin searching for jobs, but decided shorter winters would be nice.  Jeff must have fishing and hunting opportunities nearby.  I wanted a good church that we could be involved in as a family (as I'm still a member at my home church in Wisconsin).  Living closer to a few shopping options would be nice.  No, I'm not an extravagant spender, but enjoy shopping for bargains at stores like Target, Walgreens and Kohls. 

Throughout the last two and a half years we made numerous trips to search for jobs and housing:  Florida, NW Arkansas, Western Colorado and Southern Missouri.  We searched online for jobs and housing in many other locations.  Upon becoming a full-time mom I really tried to assist Jeff in his job search and scoured the web for jobs he might qualify for.  I submitted resumes and emails on his behalf.  He was never even called for an interview once.  It has been a frustrating journey.  We kicked and kicked on so many doors and they just weren't opening. 

Our last resort was for Jeff to request a transfer to another location.  The problem is that his company only had welding jobs available in Kansas.   This is not the most scenic state.  Just over a month ago we visited our soon-to-be-home in Kansas.  I thought it was too remote.  So did Jeff.  He was supposed to calling the human resource manager and tell him "no," but he felt he shouldn't and asked if the company would consider paying all of our moving expenses.  We prayed that if God would have us move there they would be willing to cover this added expense.  In the meantime we discussed the pros and cons to making the move and were very undecided.  It didn't seem as if God was clearly telling us to stay or go.   We waited nearly two weeks for an answer.  Imagine my surprise when the email arrived announcing they would cover all expenses.  After added discussion and prayer Jeff reluctantly accepted the job offer.  Since then we've really felt peace and some growing excitement about the move.  We had to take that initial step before God confirmed His will in our minds. 

This new location doesn't have the shopping amenities I had really wanted.  We may have to drive quite a distance to locate a good church, but apparently God wants us there for some reason.   His ways aren't our ways.  I'm anxious to see what He has planned for us. 

God's GPS

Yesterday we returned from a whirlwind trip through several states. It was a quest to find a new job for Jeff. We knew we wouldn't live in this current location long, but where exactly does God want us? I wish we had a GPS sent from God with turn-by-turn directions. Why did the Israelites have reason to complain when they had the shekinah glory leading the way? But God asks us to walk by faith and the last two and a half years have certainly been a test of my faith.

The trip was not successful in the sense that Jeff did not find a job. We met some wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who went out of their way to help us. The spiritual bond we have in Christ is amazing, isn't it? We enjoyed visiting parts of our country that have blooming flowers and budding trees. We had lots of family time together. And we were able to rule out several possible options.

I told one of my dearest friends this morning that it appears we have come to the fork in the road similar to Abraham and Lot. I am desiring the lush beautiful land of certain states we have explored, but God is going to send us to a land that may initially seem like a dry wasteland, but this location will help us bear an abundance of spiritual fruit. We are seeing God's hand move us in a new direction. Stay tuned for details.