All we have is faith

Note: I wrote this on the plane yesterday and I'll just leave it as is. When I'm a little more recovered form jet lag I'll write about the first couple days.

"We walk by faith and not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7

As we boarded the plane today, the words from Sunday's second reading rang particularly true. We don't really know anyone in the town we will be staying in Germany. We don't speak any German. We don't have a place to live. All of our worldly belongings - the things that make a place feel like home - and even the practical things like pots and pans are on a ship for the next 8 weeks or so.

All we can do is trust in God - that he has a reason for this move. We trust that he will send us people to help - and he already has.

Doing that as our plans take a turn is harder than it sounds. This move has made me realize the importance of my daily prayer life, which has largely been lacking, unless you count those said with our 3 year old at night.

Maintaining faith when your world turns upside down is no doubt easier if I practiced that daily prayer and commitment to Gods will. So I plan to start here on the plane. I ask St. Christopher to pray for us we travel and I ask God to help me use this journey as a way to get closer to him.

Go Forth

"Go forth from your land, from your relatives and from your father's house to a land that I will show you."  - Gen. 12.1

The whole of Western Civilization begins with this order dropped on Abram from God without warning or invitation as far as we know.

You have to wonder what was Abram thinking? He was apparently a man of some success and means, with a wife and livestock and servants. You can't just up and move all that to an unknown location, right? The Bible doesn't tell us that. It just says he went.

Because when God -- or in my case the Air Force -- says go, you do.

While I certainly don't claim to be the start of a new chapter of civilization, I have felt a new kinship with Abram in the months since my husband's new assignment dropped.

Like Abram, we had little warning. The email showed up and in its government style, said without fanfare: You will go to Germany and be here by this date. Make it happen.

It didn't matter that we spent 13 years in one place, or that I had a career or that we had just remodeled our kitchen. All we knew was the Air Force decided they need Joey in Germany.

At least Abram received some promises from God: "I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you." (Gen. 12:2) The Air Force only promises to keep paying us - which I'll take. It is our challenge to trust that God has great plans for us to serve, to grow, and to carry his mission forward to the people and places we'll go.

In this space, I hope to chronicle this new adventure. It will be a little bit travel, a little expat, a little MilSpouse and a little mom blog - all through the lens of faith.

I sit in a hotel room tonight, with my belongings packed, thanking God for this challenge, and praying we can fulfill our part of his plan. Thank you for being part of it.