Two years ago when we moved to Tuscaloosa I vowed that the house we moved into would be lived in by us for as long as we remained in this town. I don't particularly like moving and I have done a lot of it in my short adult life! That being the case I had some pretty specific requirements, whether consciously or subconsciously, that it had to meet:
1. Must be in a safe neighborhood with sidewalks, big trees and lots of grass.
2. Must have enough space for all of our glorious stuff.
3. Each child should have his or her own bedroom. Heaven forbid 2 people share one room. Wait a minute.... Duane and I share a room!
4. Clean
5. Convenient
6. Comfortable
6. 2 car Garage
7. No remodeling requirements of husband. Been there. Done that.
8. And a fence. Which I did not get. And I'm still slightly bitter about it.
It was a pretty good run. 2 years. That's about average for the Dixons. After a year on the market the house has been sold. Next week we will move Team Dixon into an 1100 square foot apartment while we wait for our house to be built (by husband of course) directly across the street from the West Circle Public Housing Development. After much prayer and consideration, we believe God is calling our family to live in this community (hopefully for longer than 2 years!) While the neighborhood does have sidewalks, a few big trees and a little bit of grass, it is not known for it's safety. And we will not be building a house large enough to accommodate all of our stuff. Much of the stuff will have to go. And our little princes and princesses will be sharing rooms with their siblings. Of course I will attempt to keep it relatively clean, but it's doubtful that our new home will stand up in the categories of convenience and comfort.
I tried telling Him no. I really did. I reminded Him that I have one, soon to be 2, daughters. And He asked me if I trusted their lives in my hands more than in His. I told Him that I am already so overwhelmed with the everyday tasks of my life as a homeschooling mom pursuing the adoption of a 4th child and I didn't think I had much left to give to the people of West Circle at the end of the day. He reminded me that the simple presence and example of a healthy family following Christ would be enough. I reminded Him that when He created me he gave me the introvert gene and my home has always been my place to hide out and regroup! Surely it was ok for me to keep just this one sacred thing for myself. He gently said, "I want it all." But God, we're already so involved with campus ministry and adoption ministry. What if we can't handle all of this ministry? He pointed out that this isn't a ministry. This is life in Christ. Surrounding ourselves with the very people that Christ placed himself among. It's just where we will live and love as Christ's ambassadors. And we know that it will only be through His spirit and His grace that our mere love and presence will be enough to make a difference in the lives of the precious people of West Circle.
He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8
His requirements are so much better than mine :). Please pray for our family as we seek to move in God's direction for our lives. We have full confidence in His faithfulness.
