Moving Experience

Tuesday I helped one of my daughters move to a new home.

Took three trips with Nissan and trailer but we got her moved.

Last time I helped one of the kids move, I swore it would be the last time. I’m getting too old to lift sofas, and tables and boxes of books (Heavens! But our family accumulates books!) Heavy books!

Going up and down the few stairs in the new house just about killed me. When I was younger I could move furniture all day, load the truck, drive 500 miles that night, and unload it all the next day.

No more. I’m finding my limitations. Again, I’m swearing that this was my last move. Think so?

New home.

New life.

Same old problems.

Just down the street from her new home a morning glory vine climbs a telephone pole and bursts into beauty high above the heads of anyone passing by. I think God creates some beauties just for His own pleasure and that we glimpse them now and then only by chance. I wish I’d had my camera along to photograph the flowers, but I didn’t.

One striking fact about Bible history is how often God had people move. Everything from the Exodus to Paul’s missionary journeys. All the time, God is shuffling people around. He does not seem to want us to get too comfortable entrenched in one spot. And often He uses persecution of one sort or another to prod us into moving.

I think that’s a bad thing.

Apparently, He doesn’t.

We want to stay with the familiar; God presses us on toward the new.

Johan didn’t want to go anywhere; God did one whale of a job in moving him.

The parting of the Red Sea makes for great movie footage, but I think the most astounding move in Scripture was when King Herod decided to kill all the babies in Bethlehem. One night an angel told Joseph to take Mary and the young child and move to Egypt. Note: the angel did not tell this to Mary. So Joseph had to wake her and say, “Honey, pack everything. We’re moving to Egypt. Pack the diaper bag, the port-a-crib, the bottle warmer, the blankie, the nappies, the car seat, the stuffed bear, all that gold, frankincense, and myrrh those guys left along with all the other baby gifts — I’m quiting my job and we’re moving to Egypt. Tonight.”

They got up and moved that same night.

And she did not brain him.

Now that’s what I call a miracle!

All over north Florida, even as I write, hundreds of families are being forced to move abruptly in mandatory evacuations ahead of the wild fires that have been burning for three weeks now. Wind picks up flaming debris and floats it miles ahead of the main fire to settle in new fuel sources setting them aflame too.

People’s homes are one of those fuel sources.

New fires break out daily — 287 of them, last I heard. The main fire has consumed over 300 square miles and no sign of rain is in the forecast.

Within minutes of flaming debris falling from the sky, people must flee with everything they value. Cars and cows and cats and children and wedding pictures and blankets and bottles of water — all else they’ve worked all their lives to accumulate may well be consumed by the flames.

We need to enjoy our possessions, but hold them lightly.

Last week the server host for my online book catalog announced a forced move of computer sites beginning this week.

I don’t want to move my site!!!

I don’t want to move anything!!!

I don’t ever want to move again — but then God sends this whale…

OK, Lord, if You insist.