When my daughters were age 3½ years old and 6 weeks old, we moved from North Carolina to Minnesota. Surprisingly, it was one of the easiest decisions my husband and I have ever made. Everyone thought we were crazy, relocating half way across the country right after I had given birth to our second child.
But God had made it very clear to us, and we knew that particular move was the next step in our family’s journey.
Of course, there was a lot of coordination, packing, transporting, unpacking, etc. And to be honest, I’m not a very gracious mover. Living in a new place with a newborn, a toddler, and 75 unpacked boxes is not my idea of stress-free living! I learned very quickly how change can disrupt the rhythm of our lives and result in temporary chaos!
After we had been in Minnesota for about 2 weeks, I was sitting at the dining room table with my oldest daughter, Ashley, who was coloring a picture. She was intent on the project at hand, but all of a sudden, without even looking up, she asked me a very pointed question:
“Mama, does God live in Minnesota too?”
Of course, I answered her by giving her assurance that God was everywhere, and no matter where we go, we can trust He’s always with us. That satisfied her little 3½ year old curiosity, and she proceeded with her coloring.
But even today, over twenty years later, I often think about that question: “Does God live in Minnesota too?” But I usually phrase it differently.
Does God live in the midst of all my changes?
Is He really there when tragedy strikes? When a relationship is strained? When the bills are pilling high and the income is at a standstill? Is He really there when circumstances threaten to strangle me and choke the life from me?
What I’ve noticed is when I’m in the midst of changes, I don’t always “feel” Him because I’m so overwhelmed with my mess that it’s preventing me from being overwhelmed with His presence.
But He never forsakes us, especially in the middle of life’s changes . . . in the middle of the messes and the triumphs . . . in the middle of the circumstances and the sadness, the trials and the struggles.
We don’t have to re-qualify for His grace.
We don’t have to fear that God won’t listen or that He’s too busy or preoccupied with those who have it all together. No matter where we are, we can trust that He never abandons us.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God . . . ”
(Isaiah 43:2-3a, NIV)
What a beautiful picture this verse paints of a God who is ever present, even when we feel overwhelmed. (And even when we move far away!)
He’s a God who thrives in the trenches, who loves in the midst of our disappointments, and who spreads His grace wherever we go.