The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from the land of your kinfolk and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you.” (Genesis 12:1, NAB)
Abram was happy and content with his life, so was I. We had a nice home, a grown family, a loving church family and my husband had a good job. Then like Abram, God started calling. First He gifted us with a fourth child, after having had my last sixteen years earlier. This led to a new home and going through raising another child. Of course after these major changes we thought God was finished with shaking up our lives. We were involved in church; we enrolled our youngest in a Catholic school. We prayed about our decisions and believed we were following God’s plan.
We didn’t anticipate the u-turn looming in front of us. Like Abram we were moving through our lives, when my husband was put in a position where he had to find a new job. He hadn’t hunted for a job in thirty years. We talked, we prayed, and we continued moving forward.
God answered, practically dropping a new job in our laps. There was only one catch: we had to move across the country and leave behind the life we had built. Not so easy to follow God on this one. However, He continued to send clues that this was the right path to follow. First the new company wanted my husband right away and even offered a get out of jail card in six months if he didn’t like it. They met his salary demands and agreed to his time frame. Most importantly, they guaranteed that as Steeler fans, tomatoes would not be thrown at our house. What more could we ask for?
So in January, Al, my husband moved to the state of Washington and got a two bedroom apartment but we weren’t quite ready to commit. He began to search for a church, a school, and a house. If we couldn’t find those then the deal was off. However, God really wanted us to make the move. A church and school quickly appeared on the radar. To make it even more appealing the church had a choir and a theater group, both of which were things we were involved with in Pennsylvania. All that was left the house.
Ana and I went to visit him in February and the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. We found a house that we loved. It wasn’t our Pennsylvania home, but a wonderful home to start a new life. God had put everything in place, laid enough clues for us to get the message. He wanted us to change our life, to move on with his plans for us and that meant uprooting our lives and starting over again. Like Abram we had been commanded to move on. What choice did we have, as God’s children the time had come? We would move on and follow His path for us.
Lord, let me see the wisdom in your clues and the faith to follow wherever they may lead.
Do you feel a calling in your life to change something? Make a list of the reasons to go, all the clues that are pointing to your move. Do they outweigh the reasons to stay? Open yourself up to the nudging, embrace what is up ahead, be like Abram, step out in faith with the knowledge God will watch out for you.
This article was written in 2009. Since then God called on us once again to move out in faith and return to Pennsylvania. It was a hard decision and has been an even harder transition, but with God by our side we continue to follow His path wherever
Copyright 2015, Christina Weigand
Christina Weigand
Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of four. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Cranberry Twp. Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone. When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.
One response to “Go Forth”
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Okay, so I was going to comment anyway and then saw you live in Cranberry, which is where my brother lives. Small world. I am in the midst of big changes and have made some tentative steps to change my circumstances, but it’s not easy. Sometimes I wish the call was to move, but right now it’s to stay put and make some changes. But all has not been revealed, so I’m waiting. Thanks for this post.