How did we get here… continued

There’s something you should know about me.

On the spectrum of getting things right versus getting things done, I land firmly in the first group. Amanda and I have had fun figuring out how to work best together, leveraging my penchant for detail with Amanda’s ability to make things happen.

The point is, I don’t rush into making decisions. A few years ago, Amanda looked over our budget and gave me the green light to purchase our first flat-screen TV. I was pretty excited about the purchase, so she expected to see me coming home the next day with the coveted device in tow. In reality it was only after three weeks of reading reviews and checking prices that I finally went to the store and picked it up. I don’t really go with my gut.

So getting back to my story…

I had just told Shane that we had decided not to travel with Life Action. I had weighed all the pros and cons, we had discussed all the angles, we had prayed and prayed about it – this just made better sense. We couldn’t upend our life right now. It didn’t add up. I didn’t express this idea exactly, but deep down maybe I thought that if this was really what God wanted, he would have done a better job preparing us for it.

But now I was experiencing a strange sense of loss and sadness. Had I made the wrong decision? Was I missing the forest for the trees? Was I conflating good sense with heavenly wisdom? Like I said, I’m not one to just go with my gut, so Amanda & I sat on it a couple of days, talking and praying through my experience. After two days, I texted Shane, told him what was happening in our hearts, and asked if he was still interested in talking. As you may have already surmised, he was.

From there things moved along fairly quickly and directly. Amanda and I still had a lot of things we needed to process in regards to our house, my job, her Classical Conversations roles; but the ball was definitely rolling. Even though I had tried to say no and still had doubts and concerns, I couldn’t shake the growing burden that this was what our family was supposed to do next.

A couple of other milestones jump out to me. I told my boss what we were considering, and she offered nothing but positive support for us. Then, after couple more phone conversations with Life Action, we went back to Michigan for Seek Week. We met Life Action leadership and dialoged with them about the ministry and whether we would be a good fit. Our family hung out with Shane and Leigh’s family (The Black Pack 😊), and the four of us got to connect on a personal level. Finally, at the end of that week, Shane gave us the news that Life Action was officially offering us the position. Excited, humbled, and terrified, we said yes.

Most of you know the rest of the story. Our team, the Silver Team, is already on the road with Shane and Leigh. We’re still at home, following our normal routines while we try to raise enough monthly support to travel full-time. Some of you have already stepped out in faith and partnered with us. Thank you!!! Some of you are still considering partnering with us. Can I urge you to please do it today? The sooner we have a steady stream of monthly support, the sooner we can join our team on the road.

Either way, if you’re reading this then we know you’re praying for us, and we value that immensely. As you can tell, this has already been a journey of faith for us, and it continues to push us outside our comfort zones. We’re excited to share our experiences with you, both as we prepare and once we’re on the road. Thank you for following along with us on this journey.