Preparing for the Unknown

Four months away from our big trip into the unknown and the pressure is on!

Lately our days have been filled with home repairs, selling goods on Facebook and Craigslist, packing the stuff we do want to keep, going to appointments with medical professionals, applying for a servant ministry, and the never ending update sessions with our calendar.

The planner in me is being stretched like a piece of gum being carefully pulled out of my hair. It doesn't want to let go and I can feel the stinging pressure against my scalp! While I want the details now, God is saying, "Nope, not yet."

"But when Lord?" I whine.

We've finally come to the conclusion that we won't get all the details and purpose behind our trip until after we're at the point of no return. So much for having this "faith" thing down when we decided to become parents to three older kids. We thought that lesson was learned and behind us, but God has His own way of doing things.

Oh, we have ideas about what we are doing. Travel north. Stop in Idaho. Serve at a camp or residential facility. Head west. Visit friends. Stay with family. Head south. Tour the coast. End up in Texas by December. We hold all these plans loosely, of course.

After walking with the Lord this long, we better be ready for a shake up.

So how do we prepare for an extended road trip when we don't know where we will sleep each night, how we will get access to water and electricity, who we will encounter, what challenges we will face, or where to dispose of our waste?

One day at a time.

It looks like this. Wake up. Pray. Study God's word. Update my daily planner. Check off lists. Schedule house projects, pray for the sale of stuff, write and document the experience. Get interrupted. Turn around. Turn left. Turn right. Get a little overwhelmed. Back up. Pray.

The only way we are going to make it is to trust God for the solutions. We needed a truck to pull a trailer; He provided one earlier than expected and we had to give up our cushy SUV in the middle of winter. We wanted to sell our motorhome last fall, but we had to wait until Valentine's. I want an RV purchased before we sign on the dotted line to list our home to rent in a month, but that might not happen.

I have piles sitting all over the house. Garage sale. Keep. Maybe take with us, but not sure yet. We live in limbo and the cats become more needy everyday. Animals know when change is brewing. Another unknown about living in a tiny space. How will our moody feline friends respond to a home on wheels?

Bring on the pheromones and catnip!

One of our biggest challenges is deciding what to let go. The furniture is a no-brainer. We've had most of it since we were first married and having kids didn't do the items any favors. I hear our couch crying, "Just let me go in peace."

My husband and I have come to realize we hold on to stuff because of the long amount of time it's been with us, even trash. For whatever reason, our minds tell us that a receipt shows how much we spent five years ago on a car part for a vehicle we no longer own. That shirt with all the holes in it was worn when I got my first job. We admit, we are ridiculous when it comes to holding onto things.

Just the other night, Matt said goodbye to his old work notepad. It had walked with him at the RV lot where he works for more than a year. A paper trail of his hard work and devotion to his job. "Would you like a picture, honey?"

He rolled his eyes and tossed the article in the trash.

But pictures have become our way of letting things go. I can give up this old hat I've had since high school because I have a picture of it. I can let go of this old wedding gift I never used because I took a photo. Chances are we will never look at the images again, but there is something powerful about thinking we can, and it helps us release our material possessions.

I'm not saying this is the right way to do it. In fact, I believe God just wants us to let the stuff go, physically and mentally. Perhaps He even laughs at us, "Oh child, if only you knew you don't need any of that where I'm taking you."

My biggest motivation for letting stuff go is that I don't want to manage it anymore. So much of it is a big waste of time and energy that could be put to better use serving others and spending time with my Father. I used to love making crafts, painting, woodworking, and playing games. However, I accumulated so many supplies and game boxes that organizing them became a full time job and I could no longer enjoy the items for what they were intended.

I now have one cart on wheels filled with craft supplies for my Etsy Shop, a compartmentalized tool carrier, and a wicker basket full of paper and drawing pads. Considering I used to have an entire craft room designated for storing supplies and tools, I'd say this was quite a feat!

Are you preparing for the unknown? Technically we all are. Not one of us knows exactly what tomorrow is going to bring, or even if we will get to see tomorrow. I want to live my life on purpose. I don't want to be held back by fear of failure or hanging onto something because I "might" need it later. I believe God wants to do a new thing in each of our lives.

I'm going to trust Him to work out the details of my life. Will you?