I embarked on a 3 week trip to visit some family and friends up north, in New Hampshire. See, we only moved to Alabama 2 years ago and I had made a promise to return for my friend’s high school graduation. So I did, but what I didn’t plan was to return to my old home as a different person. That’s exactly what happened. Since 2022, I have gone through so much. I have grown spiritually and emotionally. The funny thing is, despite how happy I was becoming in Alabama, I was expecting to fall in love with New Hampshire all over again. I thought the old feelings would come rushing back and I’d be inclined to move back once I graduated. However, as I stepped off that plane in Boston, I instantly knew it was no longer my home. Throughout my trip, I enjoyed myself as best I could, yet I couldn’t help but notice the longing in my heart. It was one yearned to be close to my family and community. Maybe that sounds dramatic but one morning, it finally hit me. Alabama is my home. Not just the state, but the people there. I know it’s cliche, but if ‘home is where the heart is,’ then my home's in Alabama, because my heart is with those people. God kept poking me throughout those 3 weeks to remind me that He has purposely placed me in Alabama and intended for me to have a life here. For the first time, my eyes were really opened to all the possibilities and dreams that could be mine. This is where God is really calling me! But, since I have a problem listening, He had to fly me across the country for me to see it. I went into this trip expecting to have the desire to stay, but I left with a new sense of peace and a fresh desire to be home, in Alabama. I can confidently say, God has me exactly where He wants me. Not just in a spiritual sense, but physically. I now believe it.
Sometimes when we are uprooted it’s hard to see the full picture, but God has His ways of reminding us of His faithfulness. I can look back on my life in New Hampshire and see His hand in all of it. I can see the string that led us to Alabama. I know He is continuing to work in my heart as I remain obedient and build my life here. I’m done chasing after false fantasies or plans I didn’t surrender to God. I’m choosing to walk the path He has laid before me, even if I can’t see the end of the road quite yet. For now, I know that being in Alabama is one of the stops on this wild ride through the beautiful life He has planned for me. He has big plans for you too. God has a purpose for everything. To see it, sometimes we just need to have a small change of perspective. Or maybe for some of us, it takes a bit of a bigger shift. 1200 miles to be exact, there and back again.
Comments