A look back

 Hey, y'all(?)...

Judging by the numbers of people who still read this thing when I write it, y'all might be a stretch, but, undaunted by that, and realizing that God gives the increase, here we go..

I was thinking a bit ago about how I wound up here in Oregon.  A facebook memory reminded me that I guess I wanted to come to the coast ten years ago but couldn't for whatever reasons.  A couple of years later, I'd meet a woman who was born here that would forever change the rest of my life.  Shortly after that, I couldn't go anyplace without coming across Oregon license plates.

My pastor friend and I were having coffee outside one morning at the Einstein's on Harrison Blvd. in Ogden when I pointed out a car with an Oregon plate in the parking lot.  I told him that for the last week or so before that, I'd been noticing them more and more.  It was kind of my first little taste of God's Providence and how He kind of used things like that in the early days to keep me going on the path forward.

I was thinking last week too, about how I actually got here.  How God helped me determine the day to retire by using a new acquaintance to speak a word into my life.  I was thinking of staying at Hill until 31 July, but he spoke up and emphatically told me that June 30 was the day.  He later informed me he said that, not at the prompting of the Spirit, but because it was his birthday.  I went with it anyway, and things worked out.

I see these days in the place I live that God works providentially in the lives of the believers here.  For all the abnormal that was in my life in Utah, here I've heard story after story of God's providence in finding anything from houses for people (I know two or three more beside me), to finding vehicles, to finding a badly needed doctor's appointment for someone I worship with at the church I attend.

My life isn't unusual here.  It's just part of a bigger story God is writing.  And it's nice to belong to a group of people that see God at work in their lives and circumstances.  I wonder why that's not normal in Utah, but then again, Utah is a very dark place spiritually.  It's not that there aren't believers there or that God doesn't do great things there.  It's just that it seems to be that God is moving in different ways here and that my relationship with Him is more normal here than it was in Utah.

I know that I'm at the right place.  It's funny, too, how God is restoring things to me that I lost in the move.  The church I worship at needs someone to mow the lawn on a regular basis.  I can do that.  I have time and they have a riding mower!  Go me...NASTractor 500 once a week!  I also found out that in the future there may be opportunities to help at the mission here.  Again, just more opportunities on the horizon.  I'd talked to God about a little part-time job, maybe at a church or something, just helping out as the custodian.  That prayer was answered and I'm thankful for that job.  I'm finally getting the hang of it and have made a few new friends there at the Methodist church.  

I belong to a small group and that's helped me to cultivate friendships through where I worship, too.  I'm grateful for those opportunities.  They make my heart happy.  I very much have a servant's heart.  The Bible study I attend on Wednesdays has been such a blessing to me.  It's been a long ten years but for the first time in a very long time, I have some happiness in my life again.

Ten years ago, I would have never envisioned my life here.  Now, I don't think I could envision not being here.  From the colors of the house, both inside and out, to the people and experiences I've had here, I know I'm in the right place.  I see God's hand moving the circumstances to get me here and restore some of the opportunities I used to have in Utah that I lost in the move.  Believe it or not, I enjoyed mowing the lawn at Ogden First Baptist.  It made me feel like I belonged.  I have access to God's house whenever I need a super private place to pray, and I get to serve others and serve God.  Life is really good here on the coast.  

And God gets all the glory!