Are we there yet?

The moving van parked outside our apartment.

The movers came Tuesday and, just like that, all of our stuff is packed and ready for long-term storage or India. Michael recorded the some of the process  on video in case we want to share it with family and friends (or kids) someday.

Before the movers were scheduled to come out we had to complete what's called a "Valued Inventory" of our belongings. So for the past month we've been hammering away on this massive inventory list for the moving company and insurance. 

If you have ever done one of these before, you know how big of a headache they can be. If you haven't, I'd liken it to one of those papers your professor assigns at the beginning of the semester, but since it isn't due until the end you put it off. You know, the kind where you're supposed to pace yourself but instead you only do a little research here and there. After a while you think, "Hey, this isn't so bad after all" and you might even start to wonder why everyone else is so stressed about it. But then you really dig in and suddenly you realize how much work you're going to have to do to get this paper done.

And I wouldn't say that we have a lot of stuff. In fact, I'd say we're pretty bare bones. But we didn't realize how much stuff we actually owned until we had to list it out, piece by individual piece, then ascribe a monetary value to it. We decided to look at more than just the cost of replacement, but whether or not a particular item held any present usefulness. So it didn't matter how much something was worth, if we knew it wouldn't work for us in India, it stayed behind or went to a donation center.

Our visas are still pending approval, so we'll be staying in a hotel until those arrive (hopefully within the next week or so.) October through February is the best time to visit Delhi, but October in particular is a holiday month for most Indians. Because of this, our visas could possibly take much longer than usual.

Are you sure all that came from inside our place?

Michael and I are still in disbelief. Is this really happening? I mean… really? Are we actually moving to India - and are we actually going to be living there? For a year? Or more? It makes you ask other questions like: "Why us? What made us so special? Why were we given this opportunity and not someone else?"

September 25th came and went this year, but on that day in 2008 God was doing a lot of amazing things in my life. I was experiencing incredible deliverance and healing. His Holy Spirit was ministering to my heart and He was sharing his heart with me. On one occasion we were talking and Jesus told me three times: "I have great things in store for you. I have great things in store for you. I have great things in store for you."

I look back on that conversation and remember all the adventures Michael and I have been on together. Then I think.. Wow. God is so amazing. He's so good. He knew about India when He told me that. The God of the universe - He's so big - shared His heart with me. Like a Father teasing his little girl with a big surprise, God let me in on a little bit of His plans for me.

You can call me wishy-washy, but I think dates have meanings. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, began at sunset September 28th. Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, begins at sunset October 7th (tomorrow). Michael and I are entering a new season, a new adventure. In India, what will God have in store for us in the Jewish year of 5772?

Does God communicate to you through special dates or observances in your life? What are some significant seasons you cherish in the time you've known Jesus?