I first met Abby online in a blogging group. We quickly discovered that we had a lot in common, and I was thrilled when she asked me to be a part of a new blogging tribe she was starting. Several months later, I am so thankful for her presence in my life, for the way she leads, and for the way she challenges me to be better in so many ways. I love her blog, Winstead Wandering, and all of the great recipes and words she shares on it, and I'm so excited for her to tell her story on the blog today! Thanks for sharing, Abby!
Even though I grew up in Oregon, I spent many summers in
Mississippi visiting family. During those visits, I’d often spend time with
Jon. On a trip the summer before my senior year of high school, I visited and
fell in love with Mississippi College, a small Christian university just
outside of Jackson. When I arrived on campus my freshman year, Jon was
beginning his sophomore year and we started to date.
In October of 2012, a few months after the three-year
anniversary of our move to Oregon, Jon and I went for a walk around our
neighborhood. We were having one of our weekly date nights and my grandmother was watching our two kids.
Our pony-sized black lab was pulling me along the sidewalk
when Jon broke the news that he wanted us to move back to Mississippi. He
outlined a compelling argument: he wasn’t happy in Oregon and he didn’t think I
was happy, either. I’d recently applied for a position with the city and had
progressed pretty far into the process before ultimately not getting the job.
Jon had prayed that the city job would be a sign, that I’d be hired if we were
meant to stay in Oregon.
He also brought up our current employment situation: I was
working more than full-time in a banking job I hated and Jon, having just
finished his Master’s in Education, had been unable to find a full-time
position so he was subbing in our local school district.
I was so angry at Jon for even suggesting we move. For so
long, I’d envisioned my children attending the schools I attended. I had
imagined them being in classes with the children of my former classmates. I’d
pictured celebrating birthdays and random Tuesdays with my parents and siblings
and nephews.
I don’t remember how strongly I voiced my opposition to the
idea during that walk. I did make it known that I didn’t want to move, but Jon
made a strong case and he had been praying about the situation for quite some
time. I promised to pray about it, too.
I think, in the back of my mind from that very first
conversation, I knew we would move. I don’t remember the precise moment I
became consciously aware that I was in agreement with Jon. I remember praying
fervently for guidance and for wisdom, and I remember vividly the ultimatum Jon
issued at the end of our walk: “I can’t be happy here.” It wasn’t a statement
meant to induce guilt. It was simply raw honesty that, looking back, had been a
long time coming.
When I first agreed to move, I was not a co-conductor of the
move-to-Mississippi train; I was just a reluctant passenger, acquiescing
to the needs of my husband. My only condition was that we wait until the
following summer. I didn’t want to rush out of Oregon as if we were running
from something. I wanted to say thorough goodbyes to everyone in my life and
treasure a few more holidays with my family.
That plan lasted until the moment Jon’s long-term sub
position ended. He spent the first several weeks of the school year subbing for
a teacher on maternity leave. When she came back to work and he called other
districts to put his name on their sub lists, he discovered those lists were
closed. The income we expected to be earning from him substituting in six
different school districts vanished.
We also began to realize how impractical our plan to move in
June was. If Jon was going to get a teaching job in Mississippi, it made sense
for him to be there in the spring to apply for jobs, schedule interviews, and
get his name out through being a substitute. We bumped up our move date by six
months.
My attitude at that point could best be described as
begrudgingly onboard. I no longer felt like an unwilling participant, but I
still didn’t see the big picture. I didn’t understand how the move was the best
decision for our family, but I trusted my husband to lead us and I trusted God
to see us through. My thoughts and emotions during that time were often
confusing and overwhelming, but I remember a sense of peace that seemed to
mostly overwhelm the fear and doubt.
By Thanksgiving, we’d decided to begin the drive to
Mississippi on December 28. When we flew to Mississippi the second week of
December for Jon’s sister’s wedding, he had two interviews, including one at
the very same high school he graduated from. Even though it’s nearly unheard of
for schools to hire teachers mid-year, that’s exactly what happened: Jon was
hired to start after Christmas break.
Having the burden of unemployment lifted was the second
bright spot for me. The first was the house my in-laws found for us. We got to
walk through during the trip and I fell in love with the big front porch and
the real hardwood floors. I could see my family living there and that was a big
deal.
The opportunities we’ve had in the three years we’ve been in
Mississippi- teaching at the same school, building a home, making memories with
Jon’s grandmother before she passed away last year- have been overwhelming in
their abundance. There are so many things I miss about Oregon, but there isn’t
a single doubt in my mind that the life we have here is what God intended for
us.
If I did have any doubt about God’s plan for our move, it
vanished as I stood on the front porch of our new house a few weeks after we
moved in. I noticed how worn the house numbers looked and I recalled the
recently unpacked numbers we’d purchased, but never put up, for our home in
Oregon. They were 1-2-0-5. Our new address? 2-0-5.
Currently,
Kelsie
Abby is a teacher, momma, and wife, and you can read more of her story on her blog, Winstead Wandering, where she shares about food, life, teaching, and blogging. You can also follow her on her Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Like this Moments post? Check out the others in the series. If you're interested in contributing, please complete this form with what you'd like to write about. I can't wait to see your ideas!
Currently,
Kelsie
Trusting God can be so hard. I'm in a season of that too. OR to MS is a HUGE move, one that must have been so scary! It's so sweet to be in the place God wants us to be in!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing testament to God's faithfulness!
ReplyDeleteKelsey
www.thepeacockroost.com
I literally got chills when I read the last line about house numbers! (I wish I could do heart-eyes from my laptop, lol!) I'm glad you eventually were brought to peace with your move... I can relate to the struggle of choosing to move away from your family. We moved to SC from OH a few years ago, and it was a quick, rip-off-the-bandaid kind of move (applied mid-Nov, interview on Black Friday, moved New Year's weekend). We definitely felt God calling us there, but were honestly relieved when, a year and a half later, we saw Him opening doors for us to go back home. :-) It's cool how we were where we needed to be, and now we're where we need to be...
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine the fear of uncertainty you must have felt. it's crazy how much God really has in store for you & I'd be lying if I said I was unsure of His plan sometimes. This story really made me feel better about my own upcoming transition in my life. God truly has a plan for all of us. So, thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Mattie
www.mattiesmakings.com
Such a neat story. Abby, I love how you and your husband were able to work through that issue and make a decision that worked for your family! It's so hard to make those decisions but I love that you were able to do it as a team. I hope you're loving Mississippi!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing my story, Kelsie!
ReplyDeleteThanks for writing it and sharing it with us, Abby!
DeleteI can so relate with this story in many ways. We moved from Columbus, Ohio in 2014 to Nashville, Tennessee because God told us to. No jobs, no home nothing and he made it all happen, then 9 months later he has moved us from Nashville to Clarksville which an hour outside Nashville and a week later my husband became unemployed. That was back in July. We have lived on ZERO income since then. It has been hard to trust...But we are learning that HIS WAYS are SO much better than any plans we could have made. It's been an incredible journey from comfort to the uncomfortable and then the uncomfortable becoming content. God is so good to lead us and so patiently wait for us to give him the reigns teaching us so much in the meantime. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your story. It will make a difference in nudging someone else to trust in ways they never thought they could. :)
http://unveiledandrevealed.com
Transitions and moves can be hard; having been through a similar situation myself I can totally relate to how uncertain we feel about god and his plans, but in the end, he sure has something great in store for all of us. Hope you like your new home, town and make lots of memories! :)
ReplyDeletexx, Kusum | www.sveeteskapes.com
What an amazing story! God has a way of teaching us to trust Him in ways we need most!
ReplyDelete