Memorial Box Monday - The Oak Branch

It is always a gift from God to have God confirm a decision that you've made. As in, when you are torn on "what is the will of God" in a particular circumstance and then He shows you that you made the right choice.

Before we lived in Durango we lived a great little community in middle eastern Tennessee called Crossville. Crossville was becoming my home after we lived there for 3 years, living and working at an organization called Confrontation Point Ministries. "CP" runs short term mission trip and youth adventure trip in Appalachia... my husband was the program director for their home repair trip in the impoverished south. It was highly rewarding, and honestly good to see the humbling amount of poverty that DOES exist in our nation, TODAY, RIGHT NOW...

We had our first baby there, had a little home and some amazingly sweet friends around us.

However, my husband was becoming less and less satisfied in his job, it was very administrative and he missed working with youth... God was leading his heart else where.

He found a job on a camp website for Cross Bar X Youth Ranch... in Durango, CO. He was immediately interested because Durango is about the closest town in the middle of our two families. So he checked it out.

I wasn't so sure, I felt settled, happy, content in Tennessee. I wasn't so sure I wanted to leave my home in the moist forested country. I said, "Check it out... I'll go with you." Knowing, if he is happy, I could make my home anywhere, but still doubtful this was "God's sovereign will..."

We made a trip at X-mas home to Denver and then down to Durango to see the camp, meet the people and see if it was "for us."

The first night Tim said, "I don't think this is what I want." But he had NO reasons why... it was this gut feeling he had. I on the other hand felt a complete peace and assurance it was what God wanted. Talking him off the edge I said, "Give it a full chance and see how you feel in the end of our visit." He did and we accepted the job at the end of our visit.

Fast forward to selling our house... we sold it after 6 days on market and our dumpy 4-plex apartments we owned after 10 days... unbelievable.

We moved and spent 2 months hopping between family... it was a sweet time of "homelessness."

Three weeks after we moved our good friends back in TN called and told us that a tornado had ripped through Crossville, literally right through the forest right behind our house and the large old oaks in our former yard had fallen on our house (it wasn't destroyed, but it was pretty beat up.)

At first I felt HORRID for the family that had bought our house. After that wore off, I realized God's amazing sovereignty and care for us. Had we moved 3 or 4 weeks later we may not have been able to move at all.

I knew God wanted us in Durango and He and He alone had made it happen.

Plus, I learned the family had been taken care of, saved by the basement in our old house (one of only a few in our town that I knew of). One tree in particular had fallen right on the corner of the house where our master bed had been!!! They were also helped by insurance money and were able to fix the house up into even better shape after the tornado. However, I still feel horrible for them...

A piece of oak is in our memorial box to remind us that He lead us to Durango... in perfect timing and to benefit everyone involved.

"God knows the plans he has for us, plans to give us a future and a hope..." (Jeremiah 29:11)