Moving Community

I am sitting on the couch in our new condo, looking out over the lake (and the traffic on the Gardiner) and thinking about God's goodness to us in the way he has answered our prayers for another place to live and, even more, in the way he has lavishly cared for us in both big ways and small over the course of the last 3 weeks. I could spend lots of time detailing all the ways this new place is a blessing, but really, more than the lovely view, the better layout, the possibility of baths again after 6 years without (don't worry; there HAVE been showers) and the pleasant lack of mould, I have been most struck by God's care for us in the community he has surrounded us with. This move has been far more than a single family taking their stuff down the block to a new living space. From start to finish, it has involved a whole community of people, some of them dear friends and others I've only spoken to a few times, some of them in multiple ways and others in just one thing, but one thing that nonetheless made a difference.

It has been a practise of mine, whenever we've experienced mass outpourings of care, to note down the details of how God has blessed us through the generosity and service of others, so as to remember in future circumstances how God has always provided for us in the past, and also because making such lists makes me realize something more of how massive and detailed God's care for us really is. So here is how a community moved us this past month:

- Many, many of you have been praying for us since you heard that we had to find a new place, and have praised God with us since you heard that a place was provided. God has answered the prayers of his people, and we are very thankful for your support!

- A friend and real estate agent kept an eye out for listings, showed us the place 3 weeks ago, handled all the negotiating (including getting the rent down) and the paperwork, and all to no personal financial benefit.

- Another friend, upon realizing how quickly we needed to get out of one place and into another, took it upon herself to handle all the organization of scheduling and labour so that we could focus on packing. This was a huge amount of work off our backs, and allowed us to get everything else done in time.

- The truck rental, plus two movers, was arranged, paid for and completely taken care of by someone else.

- Two different people loaned us piles of boxes so we didn't have to scrounge up or pay for any of our own.

- Various people cared for our kids last weekend during the move so that we could not only have them out of the way for the actual box lifting, but also so that we could get things somewhat arranged in the new place before we added 4 kids to it. One person took them for a full day and overnight, and they had such a good time that when I went to pick them up the next morning, they didn't want to come home. Several others kept them very happily occupied the whole next day, and one more afternoon after that. This meant that we got more done, and the kids still had lots of attention and fun.

- A neighbour took the dog for the weekend and brought us breakfast the morning after the move.

- Another neighbour took care of the pizza for the moving help, though we were the ones who had originally offered to provide pizza for helpers.

- Two different people spent hours cleaning the old place, and someone tidied up the new place before we moved in.

- Our new next-door neighbours greeted us warmly the day we moved in, and showed up a few days later with vouchers for our whole family to attend a kids' film festival next month. They've assured us that they don't mind the noise of the kids at all (praying this will still be the case in 6 months!).

And of course, we are thankful for the several people who disassembled furniture, reassembled furniture, and moved heavy boxes down 4 flights of stairs and then over to the new place (thankfully with the help of an elevator here).

We are expectedly quite tired after a speedy move (hence the lack of post last week), but had we not had all the assistance God provided (and none of it at our own request or initiative), I don't even want to think about how much LESS time and energy we would have, and how much longer the move recuperation period would have been. We prayed that God would show himself to be glorious in the course of this move, and he has done so in many ways, but most of all by moving a community of people to come around us and blow us away with their care, service and generosity. We are incredibly thankful to have a God who so delights to care for his children in every little detail of our lives, and pours out abundant kindness on us even in the midst of trials he sends us, so that we might learn to trust in him as the good Father that he is.