Bind My Wandering Heart To Thee

I once said moving to Longview was our last option. And at the time, it was! After Jordan was out of work for almost 6 months and he found a job in Abilene (west), Texas, he needed a better one and I...well, I didn't need to live in Abilene. We were very disappointed to leave Colorado, but I looked forward to being back in Utah near my family and some friends. When that fell through, we just didn't know where we were going or what we were doing or how to even make ends meet. That's how we ended up in Longview. And I'm SO thankful that God sees the big picture instead of just my little view of it.

Since we've been here, we've continually been blessed beyond measure and beyond what we deserve. The friends and family we've come to known and love mean more than I'd ever imagined. We never expected all that the Lord continues to bless us with, like Jordan's job, our first house and great yard, 2 more kids, getting out of debt, and I'm just blown away! I love when God turns our last options into something beautiful!

 Yesterday as we drove home from church, I was telling this to Jordan and I remembered a specific time back in college. I was going through some really tough stuff like major loneliness and lots of car accidents and boredom with school. I would often skip class to go for a hike or drive up a canyon and spend time with the Lord. One day I was hiking along a river that curved and twisted and I could only see a short portion of it at a time. God showed me that that is very much like my life. I can only see a short portion, a very small, tiny part of a much bigger picture. But God knows very well what is around the corner, he knows what's way ahead and even better, he directs the "flow" and sees the beauty I will encounter. That picture of the river has been in my mind since. What's really neat is that it was partly that day that made me decide to apply for that job at Camp Redcloud which is where I would meet Jordan.

When we first moved back to Longview, we hoped to be here no longer than two years. I doubt God really laughs at the plans people make, but I really think he should have laughed at ours! Looking back, I sure do! I've always felt like a wanderer, in fact, I never wanted to own my own house and stay in one spot for long. But God is changing me and I'm more content here than I've felt in any other place in my life. I don't think it's the place though, but the community and the knowledge that we are exactly where the Lord wants us. If God had allowed us to stay where we wanted, I really think we would have missed out on so much. Not just material things, but relationships and growth in our own lives and in our marriage. We've now been in our house a whole year, Emery just turned 2 and we'll be celebrating our 5th year anniversary on Sunday. All these milestones make me stop and really remember where we've come from and what the Lord has brought us out of. Sort of like the Israelites. I just hope I do a better job remembering, so I pray that God will "Bind My Wandering Heart to Thee."