Goodbye Sweet First Home...

Five long/short years ago, Scott and I purchased our first home. We finally decided on this particular house because we hoped we would "grow into it" one day. I still can't believe that all four bedrooms are full. And while I don't mourn leaving the house for what it is, I am grieving moving away from the memories we built here. Especially the three little bedrooms upstairs, each one turned into a nursery for a sweet little life to occupy. I spent countless hours in each of those rooms, painting, feeding and rocking babies, reading books. There is something so sentimental about this home. But we leave it behind - and I am simply thankful that God was gracious enough to provide us with this house, to fill it with His love, and that He bestowed upon us gifts we couldn't have imagined in blessing us with His children while we lived here. I can walk away confident that there is much more to gain outside of these four walls; I cling to the promise that this world is not my home. Instead of looking back with sadness, I can courageously look forward and trust that He is faithful, trustworthy, good. I can follow the Good Shepherd in complete confidence.

2 Corinthians 5:1-5

New International Version (NIV)

2 Corinthians 5

¹ For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. ² Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, ³ because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. ⁴ For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. ⁵ Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.