In the story I've been reading of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, a pillar of cloud in the daytime and a pillar of fire at night time were a visible way of helping the people make sure that they didn't stray from God's perfect timing on their journey. If they tried to rush ahead of Him, or if they stayed behind when the cloud had begun to move... either way, they would lose that sense of the presence of God.
In fact, those are the two main mistakes we can make in following God's will for our lives. People who dislike change can make the mistake of holding back, staying in their comfort zone and resisting transition - even when God is clearly directing them to move forward. It's partly due to personality... but I notice that age can also be a factor. The older we get, the harder it can be to leave behind the familiar and step into the known or unknown future that seems scary or risky to us.
On the other hand, there are personalities who thrive on change and chomp at the bit, putting themselves in danger of forging ahead and also missing God's timing. For any of us, once we've understood the what or the how of what God wants to do next, it can be hard to wait patiently until He shows us the "when" and maybe a bit more detail about the how. Now that I know my time of renting this house is over, it's hard to keep looking every day and not finding feasible options right away... but the reality is that I actually have another six weeks before my new home needs to become available.
I think about this house that I'm living in now. My friend Ada and I had been searching for weeks and finding nothing (this was back in early 2010) and then I discovered this house more or less on the very day it became available. The house had actually been sold, but the buyers' mortgage had suddenly fallen through and so the original owner, my landlord, decided to put the house up for rent instead. The timing was perfect.
Or I think about my parents' house in Scotland. They've had more than three stressful years of hassling with their insurance company about a repair that needed done. Now that the work is finally happening, the insurers are also having to rewire the house, put in a brand new kitchen, and redecorate throughout. God can make everything beautiful in its time... even the hard things. That's why I can say with the psalmist, "My times are in your hands." (Psalm 31: 15)
I recently read this sentence in a book: "Even the most fulfilling times in life must eventually give way to something new." I know that to be true in my own experience. I loved living in Austria (in the 1980s) but moving on from there opened new and exciting ministry doors for me. Moving from Scotland to South Africa involved making some sacrifices, but that move also paved the way for blessing and fruitful ministry. Cape Town felt more like "home" than anywhere I've ever been... but letting go of that allowed me to slowly discover this new European home that I have in Spain. And so I choose to embrace whatever God has next for me in this Spanish context and to trust His timing for whatever lies ahead.
I remember how hard it was, when I was leaving South Africa, to decide what I could take with me and what I had to leave behind. I discovered that you can't pack fourteen years of your life into a couple of suitcases. So I had to be ruthless about what I was going to throw away, or give away, or store in a box in case I came back to get it.
Moving within the same nation will hopefully be less dramatic (and less traumatic!) but it would be wise for me to start sorting through drawers and cupboards now - giving away or throwing out some of the things that really don't need to make the move with me. Even when we're not moving anyway, a bit of "decluttering" now and then is a good way to help us live more simply and travel light. So that's going to be one of the practical steps I'll take over the coming weeks, as I wait for God to make everything beautiful at the right time.
