My Meandering Existence

Have I mentioned that we are coming up on five years of ministry in this location. That's pretty interesting considering how random the move was then. We knew two people down here basically, but we moved anyway for the job. We know a lot more than two people now. We have been absolutely swallowed up by the area. Our kids have southern accents. Amy and I are from Nebraska and Michigan, respectively, but we have children with southern accents. Micah is registered to start attending preschool in the fall in town. Then his southern accent will get more southern-y. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just that I couldn't have told this whole story to someone five years ago. Five years ago today I was enrolled at Western Nebraska Community College. Amy and I were coming up on our wedding in about a month and a half. We were singing in the choir together. In fact, I was on a full tuition choir scholarship singing in three choirs, voice lessons/recitals and a barbershop quartet. By this time I had moved into our apartment. I was settling in the apartment we planned to share after the wedding. Amy still lived on the other side of town with Laura.
If someone asked me then where we would be in five years I don't know what I would have said. I probably would have looked puzzled and assumed the person was joking. If they proceeded to tell me this long story I definitely would have thought they were crazy.
But are we better, is the world better for this experience?
I have to say that I know we are. We have been away from family for the past five years. We have learned to trust God and take care of each other. We haven't had any family to support us or help us fight or get in the way. It's just the two of us. Or, rather, the four of us.
That's another thing: four years ago I wouldn't have pictured my little boy a rambunctious four-year old getting ready to start preschool.

Through this whole story of my last five years I can see God has led me. It didn't start five years ago, either. Christ has guided me through my days and weeks and years with gentle proddings and a few spurs.