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I remember an old Elvis Presley movie and song called ‘Change of Habit’. The lyrics started out something like this, “If you’re in old habits, set in your old ways, changes are upon us, these are changing days.” That’s the way it has been for my wife and I these last few months, a change of practically everything.

While we were coming back from our 25th anniversary vacation last December I told her that 2012 was going to be our year. I didn’t know how or what but I just knew it was going to be our year. I reiterated that again to her around January. I just felt like this year was going to be our year. I guess I had enough faith to actually claim it instead of just proclaim it.

The biggest change we’ve encountered thus far this year has been moving. After 25 years of marriage and living in the same location we finally decided it was time to pull up roots and get a change of scenery on the home front. She had lived in the same location a lot longer than me so it was an even bigger change for her. We have looked at homes in the past but we haven’t really been shopping. We came across a home that we both liked, made an offer, won the bid and the next thing we know we were buying a house. Of course I give all praise to God. We both feel like He was the one that had it picked out for us all along and it was time to move on.

Much like Abraham in the Bible when God told him to leave his homeland and family and go to a place that was picked out especially for him and his children as an inheritance forever. (Genesis 12:1)

There wasn’t anything special that I had said or done to win God’s favor except being faithful to Him. I feel like it isn’t what I’ve said or done but what I will be doing. I remember several years ago of an article I had written for a church newspaper titled ‘Just Do It’. Linda and I were working for a very small church nearly fifty miles from where we lived. We would stay all day on Sunday’s and go home that evening. There were several occasions we stayed all day then not a single person would show up for Sunday night service. I would be lying if I didn’t say I wasn’t discouraged but Linda was more verbal about it than I was. We were going home on one of those discouraging Sunday evenings as the sun was setting on the horizon. We both couldn’t help but wonder if we were doing the right thing. I told her to look at the beauty of God’s creation as the sun shone through the clouds giving us a very beautiful evening picture on our journey home. That’s when it came to me and I told her “all I want to do is to get to heaven and if this is the way I have to go to get there then I’ll just do it.” Just like the Nike commercial “Just Do It”.

I also knew when it was time to pull up roots from there and move on as well. I knew what I had to do to finish the task I was there for but I also knew after that task was done it was time to move on. There was no denying how I felt at the time. Now Linda tells me she knew it was time for that change for her, for us. I had already been there so I knew how she felt. We had minor, miniscule problems at closing on the home but in the end it all worked out. Now we are in our new home continuing to work on our new change.

Sometime change is good, sometime change isn’t so good. It really pays to know the difference. One thing I have always done was to really pray about it. Whether it’s a home, job, career or car I always prayed about it. Recently a dear friend of mine passed away and I remember one thing that he told me about making decisions. When you do make your decision move on in the direction of your decision and don’t look back with regret. That’s why it really pays to pray first.

We’ll come to many crossroads in life and we’ll have to make a decision whether to turn left or right or just go straight. We know with the direction of this big, momentous change for us and the ones we make tomorrow will be a new journey but the most important thing is we will do it together as we follow God’s guidance and direction in our lives.