Lately, I have been reflecting about our first year in the holler. As I look back to one year ago, I had no idea that this is what God had planned but I am so incredibly thankful that He allowed my plans to fall through and show me how great of a plan He had.
We (God did this) sold our house within 3 days, had all of our belongings in the back of a Uhaul preparing for our big move across the Appalachian mountains within a month. Although we kept experiencing road blocks, God always carried us through the situation with an outcome that benefited us. We knew from the beginning that God was in this and He wouldn’t get us this far not to see us through the entire process.
There was one problem that was not being solved. We drove to our new hometown countless of times looking for a place for our family to call home but only to find nothing.
With two weeks to spare before we were moved out of our house, we finally agreed on a house and decided to just be done with the search and secure the place so we would have a place to move to immediately.
Deep down I knew this place wasn’t meant to be called home. It just didn’t feel right but I had a plan and a place to live!
It was not God’s plan though. A few days before closing and moving out of our house, we found out that our rental would no longer be available for the date we needed but a few days later. We were able to stay with family and wait out our new move in date but we found out that the delay would be indefinite. We were not moving there.
In my mind, we were essentially homeless. We sold our house, we had everything packed and loaded, but no where to go. With only days left to spare until we had to absolutely be there, we were without a plan. Without options. Everything was closing in. There were deadlines that were not going to be met.
God said, “Go” so we drove to Kentucky with an open mind and expecting God’s best. We knew we would either store everything and move again, get my husband an apartment, or find a house for all of us.
For one last reminder that God was in control, we broke down in the Uhaul. At that point, we should have turned around and just forgot about it because we were facing such difficulty getting to our destination.
When you are in a situation like this, you have no choice but to trust God’s plans and that is exactly where He wanted us to be. Even though the unknowns were something to be worried about, we chose to keep moving forward. We kept going on faith, God kept His promises, and surrounded us with His goodness every moment.
My plan had fallen apart and He showed me that His plans and His will are always perfect and far better than anything we could ever plan out yourself.
No matter how many original and back up plans I made, I could never had planned what God had laid out for us. If your plan isn’t a part of God’s plan, it’s simply going to fall apart so that the right pieces can fall into place.
This picture was taken 40 minutes outside of our destination and is the moment I knew God would provide. He did provide far better than my plan A, B, and C. The moment of realizing that I had absolutely no control and I had to let go and let God continue to lead us in our next chapter because His ways were higher than mine.
The ending to a chapter but the beginning of of a new chapter, Barefoot In A Holler.
Xoxo,
Hannah B.
Collective Circle Gathering 