Deep in the Heart

It was hard to leave family and friends when we decided to move to the East Coast, but we wanted to embark on an adventure. David and I have never considered ourselves people who need to live super close to family. We can visit as often as we want, and we know they'll love us no matter what our zip code. We knew the transition would be easier for Brynna when she was little, so we thought of all the fun things (changing seasons and Smithsonian museums) that her childhood would be filled with, and off we went. We worked hard to put down roots in DC. The only problem was that no matter the effort, our hearts never felt at home. As difficult life struggles began to hit us, we felt thrown and tossed by the trials. We realized that the anchor we thought we didn't need was thousands of miles away.

Someone may read this and think we weren't strong enough. Someone may wonder if we couldn't cut it or if we quit. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have learned that it takes strength to ask for help. It takes faith to do what doesn't make sense. I now know more than I did before that if you are not where God wants you, it's never going to fit; there's always going to be something that doesn't feel at home.

So two years after we left Dallas for DC, and in the wake of the hardest season of our marriage, we began to pray about moving.

Our prayers weren't answered right away, and when they were, God didn't call us back to Dallas. He led us further south to Houston. He still hasn't told us everything. He's given us one step at a time. 1) Sell the house. With no plan after that? Really, God? Our house in Virginia sold in 2 days for more than asking price. 2) Go to Houston. With no house to move to? Really, God? Family and friends opened their homes, but even as I write this, we don't have a house in Houston. No contract, no plan, just faith that we are being obedient and God will take care of the rest. And in the midst of the uncertainty of the details, I've never felt more secure.

God has a plan and this was our part of His story. I'm ever-grateful for our time in DC. I'm thankful that my marriage will never be the same because of what we struggled through and overcame - together. I'm thankful for the culture Brynna experienced and will always remember. Most of all, I'm thankful God loves me so much to have let me hurt so I can know Him better. And that He loves me enough to let me come home - deepER in the heart of Texas!