I always like to start with something personal, so please bear it with me!
My mom had an aunt called Pam and that’s her story. Barring a financial miracle, there weren’t many incentives that could get her to leave her house and move. However, she fell in love with a gorgeous single-family home in Florida and so, she decided it’s time to move out all the contents of her house. And, usually when you are about to move house, you’ll inform your friends, family members, colleagues and other acquaintances, right? Not Aunt Pam – she kept it a secret because she knew her loved ones, especially the fellow members of her church would ask her to pray and wait on God’s confirmation before moving house. However, she didn’t have time to wait for God’s confirmation as she was already obsessed with the new house.
As soon as she was settled into her beautiful new home, weird things started happening and that’s the most thrilling part of the story. For the first few weeks, nothing too “scary” happened, with only a few light bulbs blowing out, exploding across the rooms whenever she turned them on and some electrical appliances repeatedly breaking down, despite it being a new house with new stuff.
The real nightmare began when she once heard a loud clatter in the “unoccupied” room upstairs that sounded like someone had dropped a large box onto the hardwood floor. When she ran upstairs, there was no one. More weirdness followed when on another day, she heard the backdoor in the kitchen bang open and someone calls out her name. When she went to check, she found the backdoor closed and locked. No one was there. The most horrible experience was when she woke up one day paralyzed. She saw her bedroom door, desk, drawer, her legs and feet but had zero mobility. She couldn’t even yell out for help. And, all of a sudden, she heard a young woman’s voice whispered directly into my ear, as if from two inches away. That was the last day she spent in the house. She moved back into her old house, apologized to God for her mistake and asked the pastor of her church to pray for her. End of the story!!
It’s true that we are a transient nation; as per ACS data, it is estimated that an average American can move around 11.7 times in his lifetime. I’ve known folks who have moved more than 20 times for over 10 years. I will not go into the “whys” since that would be extremely tiresome and they are pretty predictable. However, I’m quite surprised at how quickly Christians cold move from one location to another without waiting for God’s confirmation. The reasons are there – be it a for a job opportunity or for a university degree – and some reasons are worth considering, however, we cannot forget that as children of God, we are meant to seek Him in everything we do and wherever we go.
If you are not sure whether to move or to stay, try the following guidelines:
Put Aside Your Emotions and Seek the Lord
Are you confused about moving with your spouse to a new state? Are you nervous about living in a new city?
Denial! Confusion! Anxiety! Sadness! Excitement! Fear! These are the most common emotions most people feel when they are faced with the decision to move house. Moving house is indeed a very stressful process and the mere thought of it can definitely bring most people out in a cold sweat. However, instead of jumping on your “gut feeling” like most people say, as a Christian, you should pray and rely on God.
If you seek His guidance first, I promise you won’t be either confused or stressed.
Remember this: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
