God is doing crazy things in our life right now.
Earlier this year, my husband Seth and I both felt a continued, lingering sense of discontent. Our discontent, by worldly standards, didn’t make sense. When we lived in Ohio, we had everything we needed.
We both had good jobs. We were renting from Seth’s dad – a farmhouse with beautiful views at a rent cost we’ll never see again – and we were putting a lot of money away. We were starting to slowly scrape away at the surface of the student loans that plague so many young people our age.
We were living close to many of our friends. Weekends often included family cookouts and picnics by the sandy beach of the pond behind our home. Georgia (our dog) had space to run outside and Seth’s parents made wonderful dog-sitters.
Still, we felt discontentment on our hearts. God was pushing us to something new. We just had no idea what that meant. We started praying.
A few months went by, and Seth was looking at jobs but I didn’t think anything would happen too quickly. I thought we had time – but then, Seth drove to PA for an interview. Later that same week, Seth was offered a job.
We talked and prayed and wondered and worried. Was this the direction God was leading us? How could we know for sure that this was the answer to our prayers?
Our prayer was that God would open a door and lead us through. Together, we accepted the offer, and followed God through the open door. In mid-June, we moved seven hours from a farmhouse in rural Ohio to an apartment in suburban Pennsylvania.
Moving wasn’t an easy decision, but we did feel like it was a God-led decision. We don’t know why God has brought us here, or what’s next, but we’ll keep on praying and trying to follow God through those open doors.
And now, here’s some tips for a stress-free move, for those of you who are about to take your own leap of faith.
1. Declutter before moving day.
Don’t wait to clean things out until you’re packing up boxes. If you have a move around the corner, take some time to go through your stuff. Donate, give away, or sell what you don’t need anymore. If you are donating items, do your research. Donate to a thrift store that is socially conscious and will responsibly handle any donations they don’t use.
Seth and I both donated several trash bags filled with clothes, shoes, books, and electronics. It made moving so much easier. More than that, it just felt good. I love to simplify, and there’s a feeling of freedom that comes in decluttering.
2. Use sturdy boxes that aren’t too big and aren’t too small.
This is self-explanatory. If your boxes are too big, they may seem ideal for packing, but lifting them into the moving truck and then into your new home is going to be a pain – literally. If your boxes are too small, you’re going to end up transporting triple the amount of boxes as you would otherwise, and that’s also going to be a pain.
If all you can find are super big boxes and super small boxes, buy some medium-sized sturdy cardboard boxes. When it’s all said and done, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Use your towels, dish cloths, and blankets as padding for your fragile items.
Instead of packing with tissue paper or crumpled up newspaper, pack your fragile items with materials you already have. Use hand towels, bath towels, dish cloths, small blankets, etc.
Not only does this save you from having an entire box filled with towels, but it also eliminates the need to throw out mountains of crumpled newspapers on your move-in day.
4. Label everything (even the microwave).
Everything should be labeled with its intended destination in the new home – bathroom, bedroom, study, kitchen, living room, etc. This will make your moving process so much simpler because boxes can be moved directly into the rooms where they belong, instead of cluttering up the entryway until you can figure out where they go.
For our move, we made use of any possible moving containers. We used trash cans, dresser drawers, tupperware bins, and even the microwave. When we were unpacking, we realized we couldn’t find our under-the-counter kitchen radio anywhere.
Why? I forgot I packed it in the microwave. Next time, I’ll put a piece of duct tape on the front and label that too.
5. Keep closet clothes on their hangers and dresser clothes in the dresser drawers.
Even after getting rid of trash bags filled with clothing, Seth and I both still have a ton. We wanted to make moving and organizing our clothes as simple as possible, and that’s not hard to do.
If your clothes belong in the closet, leave them on their hangers. You can transport them in a suitcase or using a collapsible clothing rack, if you have the space.
If your clothes belong in the dresser, even better! Leave them in their dresser drawers. You can pull these drawers out to move the dresser, but it sure does make things easier than unpacking and repacking.
6. Set aside a box or suitcase with essentials, just in case.
We were fortunate to have a very smooth moving day. We started moving in the morning and were finished by mid-afternoon.
But things happen. Sometimes, moving day doesn’t go as smoothly as anticipated. In these situations, it’s good to have a back-up plan. Keep a suitcase handy with essentials – toiletries, a few outfits, and basic kitchen supplies. That way, it’s no problem if you need to go a few days without all your boxes unpacked.
7. Ask for help!
We were created for community. God created Eve because it’s not good for man to be alone. So don’t try to move on your own – ask for help!
Seth and I were thankful to have the help of his parents, my parents, and my sister. We also had friends offer to help, if needed. This was key in expediting the moving day process. And, it was fun to all be together on a monumental day!
8. Pray.
At the end of the day, moving can still be stressful. Transitional times are hard, but know that God is still with you. Pray for inner peace as you enter into a new chapter of life.
This tip is simple, but it is also absolutely the most important. Without prayer, I don’t think I would’ve been able to make this move.
If you’re still reading, my guess is you have your own move ahead of you.
May you feel the love of Jesus guiding you through your own open door. Good luck!
And don’t forget… you are onederfully created.
Love,
Becca
