I think I created a more dramatic cliff hanger than I realized.
From the text and phone messages I received asking, “What???? Where are you going? You can’t leave me hanging like that!!!”, I realized that leaving an open end to my last post left people wondering with more curiosity than this move actually deserves.
So, here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for –
We are moving about 15 minutes away from where we are now.
Anticlimactic, am I right?
All of you Cali peeps can breathe a sigh of relief. All of you Washington folks? I’m sorry if I rose any false hope.
And if that wasn’t enough of a letdown, I will add this to the mix.
We are downsizing to a condo.
Wow. It just keeps getting worse, doesn’t it?
Why would I have been so thrilled to have God answer my prayers for simplification by selling our wonderful downtown Pleasanton home? Why would I be so excited to leave a neighborhood where I can literally walk to restaurants, the grocery store, numerous parks, the farmer’s market, a local dairy with the best soft serve cones in town? Why, tell me, why would I even consider leaving a backyard that gives us a birds eye view of kids practicing soccer, baseball, football, all from the comfort of an outdoor covered living area that has hosted fourth of July parties and neighborhood get togethers?
(Now I’m beginning to wonder myself. :-/)
It makes no sense to go from a single family home with lovely privacy to a place where we will be sharing a wall with another family. Possibly a loud family. Or a wild single guy. Maybe even a cranky old lady. I understand the lunacy.
But when God stirs a longing in you that doesn’t compute, I’ve found it’s best to listen. To trace the source of that unexpected desire. To ask the why’s. To be brave enough to go against the grain of what you always thought you would do and explore what you could do.
My soul thrives in simplicity. It loves to multiply my time by getting rid of the waste of too many choices and too much space. To free up my energy in order to be available to the people and the opportunities I’ve been called to.
With less things to care for, I can focus on people to care for.
I know that this choice isn’t for everyone and I’m not suggesting anything of the sort. I’ve just come to know my own limitations as well as my strengths. I flounder in “much”. It messes with me both mentally and physically to have too many choices, too many things, too many responsibilities. But I flourish with “less”. That’s where I can be my free-est. My best self. That place where Jesus meets me to do “lots with little”.
So, if you come over to my new condo this fall, I will fix you a cup of coffee in my new little dwelling and listen to you with all my heart. Because my routine will have become just a little simpler. A little less hurried. Less harried. More fulfilling.
Simplicity. It’s what I was made for. It’s how I want to live. How I will thrive. And how God seems to do His best shining through me.
And Mark’s super okay with it, too. 😉
That’s great news for you guys….I know the feeling about downsizing. There are times that’s all I want to do but then I think we need the space for when the kids come home to visit or the grandkids…some day I will figure this out too….
Hi Janet! All those thoughts went through our heads, too. But this place is more like a home than a condo with huge open spaces and bedrooms. Plus the amenities – pool, gym, green spaces, walking and biking trails – that all the kids can enjoy when they come for a visit. It will be an adjustment, for sure, but the excitement to have less to care for (Mark travels and has 12 hour work days) is really appealing to us. If you’d asked me a year ago, I would have said, “No way!” but now, so strangely, it feels like just the right thing. Crazy? Maybe. But we’re ready!
My advice? Don’t make any decisions until you know for sure it is the right choice for YOU!
Hugs to you, sweet lady! Thanks for writing!
If that is what you and God want, I’m glad for you. I hope the new buyers enjoy your wonderful home.
Thanks, Karen! I know how much you loved this home. Maybe almost as much as we did! We enjoyed every minute we had here and are thankful for every memory made in this sweet house. I have mixed emotions for sure. But I really do feel like this is the right decision for us. You have to come and see it! xoxoxo
I totally vibe with this post…we’re going through similar transitions, and I’ve always loved purging so I can have more “space” for what’s important in the season. Super exciting to be moving with God, He never fails to outdo Himself (is that possible??). Bless your move!!!! I loved that house too, for the short time I got to be in it with you guys, but no matter where you go, you make the territory you occupy a home for Jesus huh? 🙂 It will be just as amazing in so many ways, same or different! <3 <3
Awww… Thanks, Jenny! Would love to hear about your transition as well! As we await our condo finishing construction, we are in a temporary rental. We are thankful for the provision, but find ourselves frustrated by not getting to where we are actually going for a little while. All kinds of lessons in this “new” waiting season of living in a home that’s not ours. Part of the big adventure. Part of God’s intervention in our lives and growing us in brand new ways. Never a dull moment with Him, is there? 🙂 Love you much!
J