I admit it:  I get homesick sometimes.  Some days this beach-girl misses the salt and sand so much I can hardly stand it.  I found myself longing for the past recently, and wondering, “What am I doing here?”

Over the last few days we’ve been doing some serious grading in our yard which has created quite the mess!  It has rained nearly every day since the new year, and the red clay of the upstate has turned to sludge-mud (which we could not even stand up in)… and it is EVERYWHERE!  Our clothes are stained, our boots are covered, and our white dog has turned orange.  Our patio, garage, and half of our towels are covered as well.  We have been digging holes and planting new trees and bushes, and I reflected back on our well-manicured lawn at our old house in Conway, replete with dozens of vibrant knock-out roses, white fence, and swimming pool in the back yard.  I mused that even the sandy dirt that our dog tracked in there was much easier to clean than this blessed red sludge!

This morning I stood at my kitchen window sipping my morning coffee, looking out over the back yard and the mess that had been created.  The sun was shining brightly upon the slow-drying square that Ed finally got leveled out yesterday.  Weather permitting, there will soon be a concrete pad poured over that mud pit, and a new pool erected that a precious neighbor is gifting us.  Eventually, we will pressure-wash all the mud off of the patio that we just recently laid down ourselves.  Yes, we do all these projects ourselves on our limited budget.  I raised my gaze up toward the back of the yard and there it was:  The remaining cross beam in the old, dilapidated house in the woods behind our property, standing tall and strong, overlooking our domain.

I smiled as I was instantly reminded that our Lord brought us to this place, and He is still with us.  He put us in this marvelous home just two days after selling our home in Conway.  We could not have asked for a nicer house on a safer street with any more privacy than where we are, moving into a city we knew absolutely nothing about!  Ed’s job is going better than ever, and I am slowly getting more part-time hours which helps, but still allows me time to write and hopefully return to fulltime preaching eventually.  He allowed the rain which softened the yard for our necessary digging, and has now brought out the sun and gentle breezes so we may dry out (and recover) from our tedious (and messy) labors.  He truly is in complete control of this thing, and I need not worry nor fret, nor long for the “days of old”.  He did not lead us this far to desert us; He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us.

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you
have.  For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
(Hebrews  13:5)

So let me encourage you today that no matter how discouraged you may be; no matter how dreary things may look; no matter how dirty and stained your life may seem right now…  RAISE YOUR GAZE!  Lift up your eyes and know that God has this, and He has you!  He watches over you day and night, and truly is in complete control.  Surrender every aspect of your life to Him, and breathe easy.  Stop looking down at your situation, your problems, and your mess.  Don’t focus on the muck beneath your feet, but raise your gaze, and release your praise!  The God of this universe who created the sand and the mud, and the luscious green grass, the rain and the sun, the beaches, the mountains and the tall trees of the forests, has you, dear child, in the palm of His hand.  You are an intricate part of His amazing plan for the ages.

I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your
foot to be moved;  He who keeps you will not slumber.
(Psalm 121:1-3)

 

 

Ralph Waldo Emerson penned the famous declaration, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”  Stephen Tyler of Aerosmith brought the phrase to a new generation when he recorded it in a hit song back in the 90’s.  Today, this sentiment still rings true for me, as it should for you!

My Facebook Memories reminded me that “on this day” seven years ago, I began a new job at Novant Health in Winston-Salem as an Insurance Specialist.  This fulltime gig came with great pay and benefits, and I was set!  The secure position within this large corporation enabled me to purchase a new car; something I had not been able to do for some time.  I made friends quickly as I learned a new side of the industry.  Within weeks I was clearing my accounts and getting nods from my supervisor.  I was able to tithe generously to the small church I was pastoring, and life was good.  I started squirreling away money into the company’s 401(k), and I determined that this would be my spot until retirement.  This would actually work out well for me!

My new friend and trainer who sat next to me began to tell me how she used to work for one of the insurance companies that we at the hospital had to contact on a regular basis. Imagine my surprise when I learned that this same insurance company (Tricare) had a large office located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina!  What a dream that would be, to work for that insurance company and live at my most favorite place in the whole world!  But I was set, and that was only a dream.

About six months later I visited my long-time friend down at Myrtle Beach and attended her church that Sunday morning.  I was introduced to several of her church friends, including a sweet lady who worked in the Human Resources Department of the Tricare office!  Was that a coincidence, or a divine appointment?  We exchanged emails and kept in touch for a few months.  And then I got the call:  “We’re hiring!”

I applied online, and scored an interview that November.  I was hired in December, and in January I returned to my beloved Myrtle Beach.  I was now taking calls from Novant Health and other facilities, having been trained on the flip side of the industry.  If not for my friend and co-worker at Novant, I would not have even known about Tricare’s office there.  Had I not gone to church with my beach-bestie, I would not have met the friend in their Human Resources office.  I had a fulltime job and was living in Myrtle Beach.  I was set!

I quickly settled in at church and as a minister, offered to coordinate a new Singles’ ministry there.  Later that summer, August 11, 2013 to be exact, the pastor had me stand up as he introduced me to the congregation, inviting any “unmarried” men and women to talk with me after the service.  Imagine my surprise when a tall, dark and handsome man approached me, asking, “Are you Robin?”  I wanted to respond with, “Are you SINGLE?” but I kept my composure.  That is the day I met the man I would fall in love with, and marry a year later.  We bought a house and a boat, and we were set!

We enjoyed beach life for five years, and then the Lord opened a door through my husband’s work for us to relocate again, out to Lake Hartwell.  We sold our home in just 24 hours, and bought our new house at the lake two days later.  It was a whirlwind move, but we will soon celebrate our second year here in the upstate of South Carolina!  Are we set and settled?  Only the good Lord knows.  But I have learned that each new thing, each new job, each new address, is a divine appointment and glorious stop on this journey we call “life”.  Each new opportunity is not a dead-end, but rather an unforeseen portal into the next great adventure!  I have also learned that while I love each and every place I have lived, this world is not my home.  I’m just traveling through, and making the most of every mile along this incredible journey!

So be encouraged!  That job, that house, that neighbor, that contact, that random stranger on the street…might just be a hidden stepping stone toward something unimaginable!