In sharing with people about our adventure, and moving in less than a week, so many have asked, “Are you excited?” And inevitably, every time, I always have to stop to think and process for a minute. Am I excited? How do I feel about this?

It’s difficult to explain the emotion of this transition. This year, our “normal” has shifted so significantly. As God began speaking to us about a transition and confirming the direction He had ahead, we began to realize that life as we have known and loved it for many years now was going to change completely. It meant giving up, surrendering, laying down what was normal for us, in addition to the new growth and opportunities that seemed to be opening in front of us.

I wonder how Abraham felt when God called him to move away from his family, from his whole world, from everything he’d ever known, to a new land. I wonder if “excited” was the word he would’ve used to describe it – or maybe something like “bittersweet” or “difficult but worth it”, or “I’m just following the Lord because I trust Him.”

There’s not a whole lot of things in life more difficult than leaving everything you know for a place and journey that is unknown. There’s also nothing more fulfilling and thrilling than following the clear voice of God into the mystery of what He has planned. Put all that together and you’ve got the feeling.

Our journey the last 10 years has been one of learning to say “yes” to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives…through tensions, difficulties, and trials, choosing to trust Him and be faithful to whatever and wherever He has called us. Now, as He’s shifting that “where” to someplace new, He also has our yes. Above all, I want Him to know that His voice and leading in our lives will always be met with “yes”. May that be the cry of our hearts to Him, every moment. YES.

So…excited? Yes. Painful? Yes. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

– Leighton