Moving day...

Today is the day! My mom and dad-in-law are watching all of their things be loaded onto a truck. They've been packing like crazy, and they're exhausted. I talked to them last night, and it was clear they are ready to not be done with this.

David's parents have moved a lot. And I do mean a lot. During Bill's career in the military, they moved about every 3-4 years, sometimes to places like Germany and Turkey. David has yet to live in a place longer than 4 years, which is why the place we went to college feels like a home to him. =) As a person who grew up on family land next to the house where her great-grandfather lived and raised his kids, I think this is amusing.

But I digress... During their time in the military, the military took care of all those moves. They paid someone to pack the boxes and load the trucks, and it was stressful, I know, but at least someone else packed the boxes. Now Bill and Diana are out of the military, and they aren't paying anyone to pack their boxes for them. They're also careful packers. So packing an entire house is a long, exhausting process every time. They've endured this long, exhausting process a lot of times in the last few years.

They moved from Virginia to Alabama (1), from Alabama to Texas (to take care of Grandpa for awhile) (2), from Texas to Alabama (back to Alabama for chaplain training) (3), from one house in Alabama to another one down the street (don't even ask, it's a sad story involving a bad landlord) (4), and now they're moving from Alabama to Virginia (5). All of these moves have been in the past 4 years. Give you a tired feeling just looking at it? I thought so.

I have lived in Alabama, and we know and went to church with most of the people they'll be leaving behind. I don't have to imagine the leave taking. I can picture it in my head, and I can feel it with my heart. I've left behind some of those same people. I've done that leave taking. I know how much they will be missed, and rightly so. They have poured themselves out for others, and their loss will be felt.

Please pray for them today. They would really love to have a smooth move with no problems, and we would love that for them. They'll be driving up to us on their way to Virginia, and we hope to give them a little break to rest and relax before they push on on Sunday.