leaps of faith

Well it's official: we are moving to Birmingham.  Want to buy a house???  The seller is VERY motivated!

In just two short weeks, we will be packing up this sweet home and unloading into a different (and much smaller) one.  We have been praying about this opportunity for months, so while it feels rushed right now, I have felt like the process has lasted forever!  We decided about six weeks ago that this is where God is leading us.  Ever since, we have had that decision confirmed over and over again.  It just became official last week, and now our move to the Dawson Baptist Church Recreation ministry is in the works.

Phew!  It has been a few years since I have had such conflicting feelings about an event inside of me!  I spent some serious time in prayer against this move.  I've said for a long time that being an Army brat is good preparation for becoming a minister's wife, but moving is never easy.  That said, the move itself is not what held me back for so long.  There are several things, the biggest being that a stay at home mom survives on play dates, parks, and mom-friends who share not only children but joys, fears, laughter, and (for me) a passion for serving God and their families.  (Actually I'm pretty sure all moms survive on those things, but you know what I mean.)  We have several friends in Birmingham still, but few who are on the same "page" in life that we are.  In spite of Scripture ("be anxious for nothing...")  I am anxious to see what Addie and I's days will hold.  Leaving our sweet friends and wonderful family had me praying for weeks that God would allow us to stay here in Pensacola for a little while longer.  He has drawn me out of that place, though, and into one where I am holding my breath and looking forward to new adventures.

And I am thrilled about the opportunity for Brad.  He served at Dawson before; we were married and he was ordained there.  More than that, Brad loves recreation ministry, and Dawson has one of the largest in the southeast.  He is so sad to leave the kiddos that we are so close to, but excited about being a part of a ministry like this.

So, with all of the pros and cons involved, we are taking this leap of faith to head back to Birmingham.  Last week when we drove up there to finalize some things and house hunt, I couldn't help but remember how I used to feel driving into town every year for college.  I love, love, love that city!  Uncle Lewis (a band from Samford when we were there) had a song that plays through my head anytime I just think about being there; it's like a soundtrack for me and the "Magic city," about coming to a place that feels like "home."  It may not feel like home when we pull into town on November 10th, but I am confident that God is faithful and it will soon.

I was reminded this morning during my quiet time that we've done this before: when we left Birmingham five and a half years ago I was not at all happy about it.  When we left Dothan I was upset about leaving my amazing friends, my wonderful job, and my sweet cheerleaders.  Each of those "leaps" has eventually led to a deeper faith, stronger marriage, and therefore a happier me.  I stress the word "eventually" because there were some serious trials in the mean time.  (I'll spare you most of the stories, but one involved a huge student backing me into a corner and asking if I wanted him to kiss me (he was later accused of raping a girl), and another student who was so pregnant in class that her belly got stuck under the desk, all in the same day.  Yikes!)  I do not doubt that this is where God is leading our family.  The "eventually" is what concerns me.

So until we leave I'm avoiding all of the unpleasant moving tasks by spending lots of time out and about.

More to come on the crazy life of the Gowings as we work on leaving town.  Happy Halloween!  Our gal's going to be a duck - of course she started refusing to say "Quack - Quack" about a week ago.