"(The disciples had) all the people sit down in groups on the green grass.... and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of men who had eaten was five thousand." - Mark 39, 44-45
Those verses are pretty compact, but it sounds like the disciples had to work pretty hard that day.
I have been thinking recently about how much work is involved in order for wonderful things to happen. God moves and does amazing things, and sometimes those things just seem to come out of thin air and fall in front of us, and BAM! there it is. But more often, I think, there is a lot of elbow grease involved.
This is definitely true of our moving preparations. By golly, there is a LOT to do:
Deciding whether to bring, sell, store, give away, or throw away this sofa and this paper clip.
Figuring out immunizations, budgets, and health insurance.
Applying for FBI checks, travel visas and International Drivers Licenses.
Determining how to get money from the USA and the UK to South Africa without inadvertently donating a large percentage to the bank.
Scrubbing our house from top to toe to make it potential-renter-friendly.
Printing our prayer cards, school registration forms, and Green Card Renewal forms.
And of course there's the usual stuff: handling meals (why do these people insist on eating every day?), homework, laundry, piano practice, soccer practice, lice (yikes), dog-walking, tear-wiping and game-playing.
But, I am so thankful.
We are definitely getting there:
We now have renters lined up - a family that checks all our boxes and that we feel comfortable entrusting with our lovely house.
Thanks to our tax return, our dog Perry will get to stay in our family by moving to England to be a companion to my parents.
And, this week we sold some furniture, after 5 years of use, for $125 profit. (Insert smug grin.)
What I am thankful for most of all, though, is that we do not have to do this alone. We will be representing a whole team of people behind us and beside us - not just in this preparation phase but also while we are in South Africa.
It can be humbling to admit sometimes, but we need help - practically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. I am gradually learning to ask for these things without feeling like I shouldn't.
We have an amazing church and some amazing friends. I have been so struck by that in the past days and weeks - people who are willing to offer help and support in a myriad of different ways.
Kevin voiced this team-concept when he said that we are the tip of the iceberg - and without the rest of the iceberg we would melt. As we were praying with some of our church-members this week, someone prayed, "Thank you, God, that we get to go to South Africa."
We are not alone.
