Five years ago today we moved from our home of 19 years to the country, fondly called “The Farm.” It’s not a working farm, but we do have cows and donkeys and a big fish pond and hay fields and gardens (my sweet husband built me the garden of my dreams), and pecan groves and lots of space to roam these 80 acres. Much life and living has happened the past five years. Isn’t it true that the events ending with a “five” or a “zero” somehow seem more momentous? This five-year move-in anniversary has been on my mind all day. These trees have grown so much…
Move in day was also a Saturday which makes the memory even clearer in my mind since today is Saturday. We stored all our household “goods” in my dad’s barn and made dozens of trips from the barn to our new home that day…10/27/07. I have also been reflecting on the changes in our lives since our move. The biggest one is the addition of GRANDCHILDREN! Then we had none, now we have four. Oh the JOY! Five years ago they were yet unborn…and today I can’t imagine life without Zeke, Madie Ruth, Jackson, and Emery. A grandchild changes everything.
We’ve lived in middle Georgia almost 25 years, raised our boys here, seen them graduate from college, get married, become dads and grown men. We’ve had the JOY of serving one church for as long, and I’m most thankful for this. My dad was a Career Marine so I moved a lot in my childhood…attended 10 schools by the time I graduated from high school – 10 schools in 12 years! So the stability of living in one place for a long time is a real gift from God to this girl.
I’m very thankful tonight for my move-in day memories, for God’s grace during trials, for new family members…a daughter-in-law and four grandchildren, for the fact that we’re all still healthy and alive these five years later, that my parents are still healthy and living across the pasture, and that God is still working and moving and teaching me and changing me from the inside out. He is so faithful and that is a truth that never changes. I look forward to many family meals around the table, thankful for each one present, and for the assurance that my God is in control. 
And I’m really looking forward to another event that Lord willing will take place five years from now – my RETIREMENT! Hallelujah and AMEN!
Blessings,
Gran Jan
