Moving Day

I have never been more excited to see a moving van.  Yesterday, our drug dealing neighbors in their red gang colors finally moved out, personally escorted by the men in blue.  For two years we have watched as crime increased in our beautiful neighborhood, helpless to do anything about it except report license numbers and suspected activity.  Apparently, enough was enough....it was time for them to go.

Which invites the question:  How do we know when it's time for us to move on?  We may have followed the Shepherd's leading to our current home, job, mission field, etc. and knew we were in His perfect will for our lives - at the time.  Of course, some things have obvious endings, such as homeschooling my kids.  When the last one graduated this past June, I knew that I would be moving on to something else.  But what about this home that we were led to through extraordinary circumstances?  What about that perfect work circumstance that doesn't seem so perfect anymore?  How do we know when it's time to go??

It's not that I don't think I can trust His leading; it's that I want to make sure it's His path and not my rabbit trail.  My daily prayer is for Him to close doors that He doesn't want me to go through, and open the one He does.  The only challenge with that is when I hear door after door slamming in my face.  I tend to forget that I asked for this. 

Then I have to remind myself that doors closing are an answer to prayer.  And a great reminder that when it is time to move...He'll send the van.