In 2015, I was convinced that we would be making a major move to the west coast.  The feeling was so overpowering that as I packed away our Christmas decorations at the end of that year, I wept because I thought it would be the last Christmas spent in this house.  I remembered all the memories we had built up over twenty-two years here.  I was overwhelmed by the melancholy, but also wrestled with the feeling of excitement of moving somewhere new.  I’m not a fan of change, but I was so convinced that we were moving soon, I started the process of downsizing and packing some things away.

When we made a trip to the coast in late June of 2016, I fully expected my husband and I would find our new abode and make the big move away from Alberta to Vancouver Island in the early fall.  We prayed for God’s direction as we set out to find a new home and I specifically prayed that God would open and close doors as necessary for us to move or stay.

He answered that prayer: “Stay.”

He didn’t answer audibly, but His answer was still unmistakable by the way He changed our hearts.

I was both relieved and somewhat confused, when we came home from our west coast trip, having found no place comparable to our “old” home.  Although there were countless houses for sale, none seemed to catch or maintain our interest.  In fact, instead of being determined to relocate, we both felt completely cold about the prospect of moving away from our home in Alberta.  God had completely removed the feeling of wanderlust in both of us and replaced it instead with a renewed sense of purpose and belonging to stay put in our “old” home.  Even more astonishing, He restored the passion we once had for our homestead, and to see it in a “new” light, so to speak.

Before Christmas, we welcomed a new grandbaby into the family and as I held that little miracle in my arms, I thought about how wonderful it was to make new memories here once again.  I saw my home with new eyes, appreciating our view even more than I had ever done before.  I was reconnecting with all the familiar sights around me!  Walking through each room with a thankful heart, I was even taking renewed interest in cleaning, dusting and vacuuming them!  Talk about a miraculous change of heart!

Over the past month, my husband and I have “reclaimed” our home again.  We have been redecorating and doing some early spring cleaning so we can thoroughly enjoy our space once more, and embrace the life God has planned for us right here.

It’s a fresh start, in exactly the same place!  I had prayed God would open doors for us but I will admit I had no idea He would open the old, familiar ones and give us a whole new perspective and direction from there.

Isn’t God surprising?