When I was growing up in a happy home, I always enjoyed talking with Dad. He was born in 1899 (really!) and had a unique perspective on life. One day we got to chatting about houses and moving. He said, “It’s best to move only three or four times in your adult life. A small, starter house, one or two larger homes, and another small one for retirement.”

“Really?” I said.

A common model for Dad’s day, it isn’t the standard today. Our world is more fluid, and we change addresses often. There’s even a box on every utility bill that says, “Moved?”

Relocating can be traumatic. I vividly remember when Mom and Dad left their “bigger” home on one side of Wilmette for the small retirement ranch on the other side. The rest of us were waiting at the new house with cake, ice cream and a big poster that said, “WELCOME HOME!” All of us were anxious for the work day to end as the clock approached midnight, but where was Mom? Supposedly she’d been coming right behind us after saying goodbye to her beloved home.

Much later, her car pulled in, but she was a wreck. She’d been crying and later told us she’d spent time in every room talking to God, even going flat on her face on the carpet as if she was trying to get her arms around the house in a final big hug. Walking out for the last time had been a heartbreaker, and she was sad from head to toe.

The morning of our closing, I was eager to spend my last few hours at 103 Creek Court. We’d raised seven children there and had loved the house, the neighbors and the neighborhood. Would it be hard to leave? Would the new owners have to drag me out by my heels?

As I walked from room to room snapping pictures, tiny tingles of sadness began wiggling deep inside. Standing at the kitchen sink where I’d spent so much time, I looked out the windows at that familiar scene and knew I needed to quickly ask God for help.

“What do you want me to think right now, Lord?”

Immediately he made his close presence known. Although I couldn’t see or touch him, that didn’t matter, because he spoke words I knew were his: “Margaret, unless I build the house, all your labor is in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

“Don’t dwell on these walls, floors, windows. The real building is not a noun but a verb. It’s what I’ve been doing at 103 Creek Court for years. Do you think that’ll stop, just because you’re moving? I’m moving too. With you! As you leave your house, remember that the Builder of lives goes with you, so step away from that sink, and let’s go…”

Happiness wrapped around me like a ribbon around a package, and I started laughing. God’s message to me was effective, but even better was getting a glimpse of him when I needed him most.

And I couldn’t wait for the next one!

(…to be continued)

“He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3)