If you ever find yourself in the position of possibly moving, avoid it at great length. Moving is one of those things that can sound exciting but once you actually start to pack up things, you realize just how much junk you have managed to accumulate. For me this summer involved just that - realizing just how much crap I own.
If you are a single person moving somewhere however, the moving experience may not be as bad. My situation however, involved packing up all of my family's possessions that had been stuffed into a 2900 square foot house over the course of 20 years. Inevitably this required looking through boxes not touched in years hoping to be able to garbage things but have your parents insist you retape the box so it can sit for years in the new house.
When you grow up in a house for your whole life, it’s easy to become very comfortable there. So when my parents decided moving was a good option for us, I didn’t think they were serious at first. But as I thought more and more about living closer to family and being in a bigger city, the idea excited me.
As the moving date got closer, the realization of it being my last week in my home started to affect me. I found myself staring at rooms and having memories of things that occurred there, good and bad, while my eyes would occasionally get wetter.
When you are friends with a person for 20 years, you really get to know them. In the case of our house, you learn the sounds and smells, which places not to step while sneaking around to avoid creeks, and how the light will come through the maples trees outside your bedroom window in the morning.
As silly as it sounds, I would say I’ve been grieving my former home. I’m sad to lose a place of rest were so many memories got shaped. I am also fearful to forget those memories as time goes on away from the house. Certain times of the year will also be hard because memories from our home will flood my mind.
Through this process I’ve had to remind myself that anyplace I live on this Earth is just a temporary dwelling place. My true home will be eternal one day in the Kingdom of Heaven.
“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” Matthew 6:19
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” 2 Corinthians 5:1
Even though this place isn't my home, it is okay to grieve it. When Lazarus died in John 11, Jesus did not say, "don't cry because he is in a better place". Instead, Jesus wept for his friend. So if you have ever moved or find yourself in the future moving from a place that is dear to your heart, take time morn it. Change is hard but new adventures can also be exciting.
