Looking Back...

2 Corinthians 4:8 >> So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.I remember how excited I became when I first heard the news that we would be moving to California. I was not a big fan of where we were living in Washington state and both Ethan and I were ready for something new. California dreamin' was on my mind and I had high hopes for what was in store for us. Little did I know, God would completely shake up both my and Ethan's best laid plans. Two kids, one house bought and sold, and a whole lot of hurdles later, we are faced with a short countdown until we move to our next duty station. We have 37 days until we make our cross-country trek to our new home and I can't help but wonder where the time went. I have a better understanding of what James meant when he said life is a vapor. Time truly does fly by and when I look back at my time spent in California, I have to wonder how much of it was spent pursuing my passions and how much was spent on things with eternal value.  I can see God's hand directing all the events during my time here. I can see how He pulled me out of my self-consumed mindset and brought me to a deeper level of dependence on Him and humility. I can testify to His patience with me as I danced back and forth between my will and His plans for me. (Please note that these are all things I still wrestle with even today.) I can't help but wonder if there was more I could have done with my time here but at the same time I'm grateful for the many opportunities He has given me.In 37 days we journey to a new territory. I'm excited. I have big plans. But this time around I'm going into this move with open hands and an open heart...trusting that the plans I have for myself may not be plans God has for me and seeking His will in the meantime. I have no idea what God has in store for us there but knowing how fast our time here in California went pushes me to remember to do all things for His glory and to remember that our purpose here on earth is for kingdom advancement. We were not placed on this earth to settle and that is one benefit of being a moving military wife...I can never get too comfortable.  All this to say, I can't go back in time and change how I did things but I can move forward with how I will handle things. Christian friend, even though you may not move around like we do, I encourage you to look back at the past couple years of your life. Have you grown since then? Do your day-t0-day actions display a desire to serve yourself or God? Have you tightly held onto your plans or have you surrendered them at the feet of God? These are all things I must ask myself daily. Living with an eternal perspective isn't easy but we bring God glory when we choose to do so. :)