early monday, june 16, @ 145, dan and i left for cebu, philippines, starting the next phase in our lives -- retirement. but, this isn't retirement in the sense that we'll be sitting on the beach reading the latest david baldacci, james patterson or steve martini novels while slowly sipping a grande strawberry margarita. instead, we'll be helping with EL International Church and its various ministries -- churches, seminary, kindergarten -- in order to free my parents from the daily administrative duties so they can concentrate on preaching, teaching & writing before the Lord decides it's time for Him to bring them home to Himself.
leaving CA meant leaving behind our kids, ashley, justin & erin, and our grandkids, josiah (3+) & keilah (7 weeks). that was probably the hardest thing i've ever done because, for the past 28 years, we have never left our kids like we're leaving them now. this time around, we'll be gone for 6 months, returning in december to visit for only a month. so, our home base has shifted from CA to cebu, but our family did not shift with us.
10 hours into the flight, thinking about this great change in our lives and feeling sad about leaving the kids, i decided to watch "dan in real life." i'd seen the previews for this movie, but had no idea what it was about. i found myself getting caught up in the story of dan, a widower, the stormy relationship he was having with his 3 daughters, his falling in love with his brother's girlfriend... at the end of the movie, dan was saying that we can do all we can to help our kids plan for various aspects of their lives, but maybe what we need to do is also teach them to plan to be surprised. I thought that described my current situation to a T, but I knew there was an element missing in that line that needs to be there for me: God. it is He who will bring surprises along the way as we live to become more Christlike. it is God who showed dan and me, once we decided to retire early from our jobs, that cebu is where He wants us to be.
so, that's how "plan to be surprised by God" became the title of my blog. i plan to be surprised by God during this next phase of my life. i look forward to the surprises that my kids will encounter as they learn to live their lives without us being a 10-minute drive away from them... i plan to be surprised by how God will provide for our needs, now that we're living off of our savings & dan's small pension from JPL...
exciting times are still ahead of us and i'm eagerly waiting to be surprised by God at every turn!!
leaving CA meant leaving behind our kids, ashley, justin & erin, and our grandkids, josiah (3+) & keilah (7 weeks). that was probably the hardest thing i've ever done because, for the past 28 years, we have never left our kids like we're leaving them now. this time around, we'll be gone for 6 months, returning in december to visit for only a month. so, our home base has shifted from CA to cebu, but our family did not shift with us.
10 hours into the flight, thinking about this great change in our lives and feeling sad about leaving the kids, i decided to watch "dan in real life." i'd seen the previews for this movie, but had no idea what it was about. i found myself getting caught up in the story of dan, a widower, the stormy relationship he was having with his 3 daughters, his falling in love with his brother's girlfriend... at the end of the movie, dan was saying that we can do all we can to help our kids plan for various aspects of their lives, but maybe what we need to do is also teach them to plan to be surprised. I thought that described my current situation to a T, but I knew there was an element missing in that line that needs to be there for me: God. it is He who will bring surprises along the way as we live to become more Christlike. it is God who showed dan and me, once we decided to retire early from our jobs, that cebu is where He wants us to be.
so, that's how "plan to be surprised by God" became the title of my blog. i plan to be surprised by God during this next phase of my life. i look forward to the surprises that my kids will encounter as they learn to live their lives without us being a 10-minute drive away from them... i plan to be surprised by how God will provide for our needs, now that we're living off of our savings & dan's small pension from JPL...
exciting times are still ahead of us and i'm eagerly waiting to be surprised by God at every turn!!
1 comment:
Surprise!!! I love that word. God never ceases to amaze me. After reading your blog today I thought, "would I be able to do this? Pick up, leave everything behind, the comforts of home, my children...all for the sake of the call?" and then I thought of how obedient you have been and I am blessed. Blessed to know that it in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter. All that matters is this, where ever you are at God is there. Life may change, people come and go, things well they are just things but God...He is forever. He will never change. The surprise comes when we choose obedience over self.
I feel your joy and sadness in leaving your babies behind. Joy because you are at the center of God's will. Joy because your children are more than capable. Sadness because your children are more than capable. It cuts both ways.
I admire your act of obedience to Christ. I love that you are where God wants you to be.
Know that your children are loved by us all and we will do our best to stay in touch. Whatever, whenever, please know they can count on Arnold and I as well.
mind in the gap,
Lila
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