Moving to the Delta

When David and I got married, I always knew that there was a possibility that we would end up in the Delta.  He is a Delta boy through and through, and for those who might not know what that means, I'll give you the run down of my particular Delta boy:

• He loves to work hard and stay busy.
• It is preferable that the work be outside.
• He loves to hunt, and by hunt, I mean he hunts it all....deer, duck, dove, hogs.  Mostly, he pursues the typical animals for hunting, but if a beaver is causing trouble in a pipe or an armadillo is digging in a flower bed, it better watch out. 
• He likes the country and country music for that matter.
• He loves the place where he grew up and where his family has farmed for generations.

Well, after college, we moved to Jackson, got married, and started our life together.  David worked as an engineer for a great company, and we made great friends.  We loved our life in Jackson, but it was not to be our home forever.

As an engineer David spent most of his time behind a desk.  He loved many aspects of his job, but as evidenced from the description above, it was no surprise when he grew restless. His job in Jackson was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.  At that point, he began to mention the possibility of farming, and I began brainstorming other jobs that he might enjoy doing because moving to the Delta was not what I wanted to do.  In fact, I had a whole list of reason for not wanting to move our family.  We had our church and our friends, and we were located about halfway between our families.  Moving to the Delta meant that I would be five hours away from my parents and sister.  Other problems included schooling and housing.  The issue of where our children would attend school was a huge point of contention for me, and we had just bought a new house that we both loved.  David also shared these and other concerns, so it didn't really seem like a viable option.  My view was that if I was supposed to move to the Delta then God would have to change my heart, and change it he did.

In the summer of 2011, my Bible study group read Francis Chan's Crazy Love.  While reading this book, God began to change my stubborn will.  My heart started softening toward the idea of moving to somewhere that didn't suit my selfish fancy.  Here are a couple of quotes from the book that really struck home at the time:

• “But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through.”  ― Francis Chan, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

• “It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn’t call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace.”   ― Francis Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

It was around this time that David and I decided that we would start praying about the possibility of moving to the Delta.  We also sought advice from our parents and friends, and we asked God to show us clearly what He would have us to do.  After much prayer and discussion, we both felt led to put our house on the market and to begin the process of looking for possible housing in the Delta.  I had come to see that while my concerns were valid, they were areas of my life that I was seeking to control instead of first seeking God's will for our family.  He showed me that no obstacles were too big for Him.  I also found a real peace in knowing that it is much better to obey God and go where he leads, even if it is not my "ideal" situation, than it is to stay in a place where he has not called me, even if it has the convenience of a Target and multiple good schools and a spacious home.  He graciously reminded me that I had a loving husband who worked extremely hard for me to be able to fulfill my dream of staying at home and raising our children and that I could live this dream out anywhere in the world; my husband's dream job, for which God uniquely gifted him, could only be done in Ruleville, MS. 

Once we listed our house, God continued to give us amazing confirmation that this move was what He intended for our family.  Our house sold to the one and only couple who looked at it.  It had been on the market (for sale by owner) for less than two weeks when we got the contract.  In a slow housing market, this was a miracle!  At the same time, we found a house to rent in Ruleville.  God's timing and provisions were perfect! 

Leaving was still hard.  Really hard.  We were incredibly sad to leave our friends and our church family.  Our last church services as members of Trinity were so heartbreaking.  I cried and cried at the thought of saying goodbye.  When we left Jackson, it really felt like we were leaving a little of our hearts behind, but God was faithful even in the hard times.  Through it all, we felt His peace and knew that he was guiding us all the way. 

At a farewell party that our Sunday School class gave us, our friends prayed for us and for our transition.  It was such a touching time of prayer, and it really strengthened us.  One of the prayers in particular has remained with me and has been a good reminder when things are less than ideal.  It went something like this (I can't remember it all because I was crying like a baby):  "God the Delta is a place full of brokenness, and we know that this is not how You created the world to be.  When David and Rebekkah look out and see the brokenness all around them, remind them that You came to fix all of the brokenness.  We pray that they would reflect Your image to those around them and that they would show Your love to those they meet.  Even though it is sad to say goodbye, we know that one day there will be no goodbyes and that we will all worship you together in Heaven." This prayer reminds me that God has us in the Delta for a purpose, and I am so thankful for his many provisions.  I am thankful that He is a God who reveals His will to us and who walks with us every step of the way.  We are still in some ways transitioning and are still looking for ways to serve in the community, but we know that he will be faithful to lead us in these areas too.

In some ways this post has been hard to write because it is difficult to capture all of the details and emotions that were involved in making this decision, but I hope that I have given some insight into our big move.  We  are so happy where we are now and know that we have made the best choice for our family.  I look forward to sharing some of the details of our life on the farm!