Rapha & Yada - "Be Still & Know": Reimagined

I need to apologize, dear readers, for not sending a Daily Devo yesterday.  

My only excuse is that it was moving day for my fiancé and me, and it started early and ran late. 

Like most people, we were still packing furiously before the movers arrived, and we didn't stop moving all day long. 

We still have about two carloads' worth of stuff to retrieve from the old house, but I am happy to say the lion's share of the move is done. 

I can't tell you how relieved I am to be free from the house we were renting.  

It was falling apart, literally.  

The roof had holes that let in both rain and critters.  

We had raccoons in the attic a full ten days before pest control finally came to get rid of them. 

You could hear them scrabbling around in the HVAC ducts as they did whatever raccoons do, which isn't something you want to think about. 

A massive leak from the upstairs shower into the garage required a repair company's visit and revealed the entire attic was contaminated with animal feces and urine.  

The technician was so shaken by what he saw, he wouldn't even talk about it afterward, save to say it was the worst he'd ever seen. 

The siding of the house was also full of holes, and we were informed that termites had been having their way with it for years.  

Needless to say, we were motivated to get out. 

It occurs to me that the house we left is a sign and a symbol of a deep spiritual lesson. 

Sometimes the way we live no longer works for us.  

Our bad habits don't serve us well.  

Our self-destructive behavior takes a toll.  

Our belief systems and ways of expressing (or not) faith lead us no where. 

So, we have a choice to make. 

We can continue living in the dilapidated state we have been in for too long, or move.  

Some of us consider all that it would take to move from one place in our lives to another, and it seems too daunting and overwhelming. 

So we stay, even though we know it's not good for us. 

But if we have the courage to take a step in a different direction, one that ultimately leads us somewhere better, we can find the renewal we long for.  

This move has reminded me of something else that needs shariing.  

We didn't bring as many things with us to our new house.  

There were pieces of furniture that were given away to friends or donated. 

I culled through my clothes and shoes and gave a couple of large bags of both to our ministry serving the unhoused, and another to Goodwill.  

The lesson is simple: When you move to a different place in life, there are things you need to leave behind. 

Some parts of your old life may need to come with you, for sure.  

But we can't be afraid to let go of the things that no longer serve us, and perhaps no longer fit in the new place we find ourselves.  

Self-destructive habits. 

Toxic relationships. 

Our inner monologue of self-loathing. 

Anything that keeps us from spiritual growth. 

So, if you find yourself in a place in life where you know you need to move, but are uncertain how to make it happen, let me encourage you. 

Take the first step.  And then another. 

Do the next right thing. And then another. 

Surrender your outcomes to God, and trust that the way forward will be revealed. 

And don't be afraid to let go of whatever is holding you back from being the person God longs for you to be, in the place God has prepared for you. 

May it be so for all of us, and may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever. Amen. 

Prayer: 

God, give me the wisdom to know when it is time for me to move forward from where I am to where you want me to be.  Help me to have the strength to leave behind whatever in my life is holding me back spiritually.  Give me grace when I do this imperfectly, and lead me down the path toward wholeness, even when I can't see the way.  Amen. 

Reflection Questions: 

1. What about my life now is in need of a move, and what would it look like if I did?

2. Are there things in my life that are keeping me from being the person God longs for me to be, and how do I go about letting them go?

3. How can I take steps to strengthen my trust in God as I walk forward toward the future God has in store for me?