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Difficult Over Easy

This week has been an overwhelming home coming. My husband and I were talking about how often we have moved, but here in Arizona, it feels like home. We put roots down here nearly 19 years ago, raised the kids here and it is where we all met Jesus. It’s only natural that it would feel like home every time I came to visit over the last five years. 

When we moved away, we had plans to come back when we retired. That was going to be a long span but that was always the goal. I knew when we left Arizona it was God’s plan. He made it so clear. However, it wasn’t easy. Following Jesus is so simple but rarely easy. I’ve learned to embrace the difficult even though on most given days, I’d prefer to choose easy. 

Last weekend, after a very long and tiring two plus days driving, that Arizona State line sign was a sight for sore eyes. I remember when we first moved to Arizona from California. I did not want to move. In fact, it was one of the most difficult moves I had to make. I did not want to uproot the kids again. But Jim’s company had merged and took us out of our comfort zone and into the middle of the desert. The funny thing is, it really was an answer to prayer. I had been praying for my marriage. And God not only heard my prayer but answered it the best way He often does. Not by giving me what was easy but by giving me what I needed. I needed Him! 

It was there in the desert that God revealed Himself to me. Where He also showed me my own heart. He knew how much I needed Him. God not my marriage or my circumstances needed to be my hope, my strength, my all. It took me several years to see that. And if I’m honest, I still struggle with it. I still want easy over difficult. 

These past five years have been amazing. So many life experiences I would never have had, had I chose easy. Had I chose to stay in Arizona when my husband was offered to go to Chicago. He gave me a choice. He said “ If you don’t want to do this, we won’t”. I remember thinking “ I don’t want to go. I want to stay here. Family is here. This is home. I want to grow old in this house and have family get togethers”.  It was comfortable and it had become easy. But I also knew that Jim wanted this and I did not want to hold him back. More importantly, I felt God moving me in this. I was reminded of scripture that tells wives to follow their husband’s  lead. Jim is the leader in our home.  It’s not always easy to follow him but I know it’s truth and I need to do it even when it’s difficult. 

I don’t think it’s a surprise to hear that I have been praying God would bring us back to Phoenix sooner than later. Especially after we started having grand babies! We wanted to be close to the kids and be around to see those little peanuts grow up. Even though I absolutely loved Texas and the life He had given me there.  I’m so incredibly grateful! We had the best neighborhood, neighbors, friends and I settled in faster there than I had most places in the past. I knew it would be difficult to leave. I think how I could have missed out on the life long relationships I made there had I not followed my husband to Chicago, then to Boston. Which by the way, both of those places were incredible life changing experiences also! It changed me in so many ways. I’m forever grateful for the difficult and the countless blessings God has given us through those difficult times

It’s easy to be thankful and praise God when everything is going well. When life seems “easy”. There have been and will be more difficult days ahead. That’s just life here on earth. I will choose to be thankful in those days too. God is my hope, my strength and my all! For that I am incredibly thankful. I have been overwhelmed with gratitude to God for bringing us back to Phoenix sooner than later. I still pinch myself that it’s real. We are in temporary housing while we wait for our house to be built. Our plan is that it will be our last move. Ha! I know, I know! I have to hold that very loosely. God calls the shots in my life. If He chooses to move us again,  as difficult as that would be I will still follow Him!  I will choose difficult over easy because it’s life changing. He knows what I need in order to make me into who He wants me to be. And for that, I am very thankful! 


Pressing On 


“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”
Psalm 25:5 NIV


“Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.”
Ephesians 5:22-24 MSG



“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV

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