1000 Fields of Roses

Today we went to the bank to hand in the keys to the house. We were there longer than we thought we would be – no-one at that branch had done that sort of thing before, so there was a lot of to-and-froing and phone calls. We were doing OK, but the girl who did the paperwork looked like she was going to burst into tears at any second… it was all a bit surreal…

We were meant to hand in the keys yesterday, but there was still a bit of cleaning to do (it’s amazing what you find under a fridge that’s been there a few years!) So, yesterday was The Last Time we will be in that house. I’ve been trying to analyze how I feel about it all… I’m not sure…
When we first bought the house, I thought we’d be there forever. I thought the boys would grow up and leave, but the grandkids would come to stay from time to time… there’s a sort of mourning that goes with those dreams being impossible. On the other hand, I think God has been working on my heart to separate me from holding on to transient things (often while I’ve not been looking!) I still have a long way to go… but I am content with where we are, and I feel excited about what the future holds….
Having said that, I do tend to become attached to places I have lived… I took lots of photos yesterday, just to keep as memories. I was channeling ABBA while walking through the empty house (sing with me – “In these old familiar roo-ooms… children would play-ay…. now there’s only emp-ti-ne-ess…” 😀 yeah, different scenario, I know…) I will walk forward, looking ahead… but for now, today, here is my tribute to our home..

I like to think everyone was welcome in our home. I’ve left the sign up for the next person who moves in…

The lounge room, looking into the dining room/kitchen… a beautiful, large, airy space… it looks a lot bigger with nothing in it..

Our bedroom… a nice space, cosy… the built in wardrobe had mirror doors, which made everything look bigger.

The backyard, minus the massive trampoline…

Under the house – the far right corner was supposed to be my creative area (lovely light from the windows) and the space to the left of it was to be the schoolroom, but we were never able to get it built in… I hope whoever gets it next can  fix up all the little bits and pieces we couldn’t do…

One of the sadnesses is leaving behind the plants we have grown, and trees we loved (my jacarandas! 😦 ) I’ve tried to pot a variety of things… time will tell if they survive.

I didn’t have a proper strawberry planter, so here’s the homemade improvisation 😀

We were able to harvest some vegies…

chillies, cherry tomatoes, spring onions and sweet potatoes. The potatoes weren’t ready for harvest… 😦

So that’s it… another chapter closing in our lives.

Goodbye house. And thank you. You sheltered us well.

“By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God.”
– Hebrews 11:8-10

It’s encouraging to remember that this house is not our final home – that God is the final architect of my life, and that I can trust Him to steer me straight, even though I don’t know where I’m going, or often how to get there…. We didn’t know where we would settle when we came back to Australia, and He brought us to this city. That seems to have worked out pretty well, so far…

I don’t particularly want to spend the next few generations living in tents, though… 😀

Another verse I liked today –
“You crown the year with Your goodness,
And Your paths drip with abundance.” – Psalm 65:11

A bit of nostalgia to start with…

…. now, I don’t mean to depress you, so disregard the “lie down and die” type sentiments… I’m more interested in the thread of hope for the future…

It’s been a bit of a year, hasn’t it?

For many people, it’s been a hard, painful year… a time of loss and grief and having to start again. I didn’t lose anything in the floods, but I did have other losses, changes, and new beginnings to contend with. We’ve had to strip back to basics and redefine what’s really important… a journey partly scary, partly exhilarating 😀 We’ve had to lean more heavily, and more closely, on God… even when reason was telling us something different….
… and we’ve found strong, faithful friends, who have shared their journeys with us, as we have shared with them…
This year has been hard, in a lot of ways. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

So – what of the new year? I feel that this will be an amazing year – not just for us, but for our friends as well… there are all sorts of possibilities to come!

Here is my prayer for this year to come –
“I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you (and me 😀 ) intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers, oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him—endless energy, boundless strength!” – Ephesians 1:16-18

and a promise…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!