Fairview - Atlanta - Fairview - Sell Everything

That was Fairview. When we moved there, i was in the second grade. In that small town, my entire grade level consisted of about 20 students.

I don't remember too many signficant events in Fairview. We lived there until the beginning of third grade, and then we moved to Atlanta, Michigan. Atlanta's about 30 miles away (or at least that's what my third grade mind recollects)from Fairview, and we got to live close to my Uncle John and Aunt Julie and their kids, Chris and Susie.

That didn't last too long though. Before the end of third grade, we were back in Fairview - at a different house this time. I remember living down the street from a girl who became my very best friend. Her name is Valerie. Valerie is a little bit older than me, but we became very very close.

.............................................i'm stuck here, i'm afraid--because thinking about my friend Valerie brings a special feeling in my heart and a little bit of sadness because when we were little girls, we would encourage each other in the things of the Lord (in our little girl way), but when i last was in contact with Valerie, she was far away from the Lord. That makes my heart sad. Hers was a very special friendship that i still cherish. For a girl like me, who changed schools as often as i did, a true buddy was hard to get. Valerie was a true pal.

Sometime in (i think) the summer after fourth grade, we (my family) had a new plan. This move would be to Seattle, Washington to help with a church that we had been associated with when i was a very small child. But, because we would have to live with my grandparents while we got established, we would have to sell as much as we could and pack what was left in a trailer that my dad's cousin would build for us. We could park the trailer at my Uncle Soren's house while my parents looked for work and a place to live.

We had never done this before. We always packed everything, except for maybe some of the big stuff, and took it with us. My dad kept encouraging us with God's word that the Lord would replace what we left behind for His name's sake, and He would replace with better.

We had a great big garage sale. I sold a lot of my toys, and my parents said i could keep the money that was made from my stuff. Also, my friend, Valerie, put some of her stuff in. If i remember right, we both made about $20. Valerie bought a cabbage patch doll, but i think someone may have supplemented the amount. She named her cabbage patch Beth, after me. Soon after, my mom made me a doll, similar to a cabbage patch, but cooler 'cause my mom made it for me. She gave it long blond hair and blue eyes, and we named her Valerie, after my friend. Then we hitched up our trailer full of all our things, and we drove away to Seattle.

I think this was the first (and least painful) of many purgings the Lord has brought me through. Starting over with less, little, or nothing, is actually good for us. But it rarely feels very good. The purgings i've gone through later in my life haven't been voluntary, and they've been much harder for me, but they've been healthy for me. I've learned to trust God more. He is my provider, and He never lets me truly go without.

God is good.