Home Sweet Home?

It’s been almost 7 months since it all began.  The scenery looks different. The air feels crisper. The people are different. This is not home.  Yet.  This is Baltimore.

I have to say this is a lovely place. So much history and beauty. There is water and boats.  Any shop you could ever imagine. Seafood.

But most importantly, there are people. Lots of people. There are whites, Indians, Caribbeans, Blacks, Jews. There are people who need help, and there are people who are hurting. There are people who have never told their story because no one will listen. I suspect it is no different where you live. There are people everywhere who need something more.  I hope to get to know some of these people.

A few months ago, Ricky, my husband, received a call from a Pastor in Baltimore, MD.  We know the pastor through a mutual friend who was the current youth pastor at the time. The Pastor mentioned to Ricky that there was a position available for music and youth director and that he would like us to consider this position.  When I heard the news, I cried.  That’s all. Just cried. A million things were going through my head. What about our home? What about my friends? What about starting a family with everyone else? What about this and that? I was overwhelmed.

I am so thankful for my husband. He came to me and said, “Karlyn if you are not 100% sure that this is what God has for us, we will not go. This is a decision we will make together.”  So I said, “Ok, honey I’ll go wherever you go.” NO!  I did not say that. I said nothing at first. I had a lot of questions. As time progressed we discussed many things between ourselves and the Pastor. After lots of prayer and council, we both realized that this is absolutely what God wanted for our lives. He wanted us to move to Baltimore, MD so we could minister to the people at Arlington Baptist Church and the surrounding areas.   To be honest, it was not an easy thought. I still struggled with leaving what I knew here in Greenville/Spartanburg, SC.  But God’s amazing grace overwhelmed my soul like I never imagined! It’s such a wonderful experience when you know you are following His will. I kept asking myself, “but will I be happy?” I deserve to be happy. After council in this area, I realized that I don’t deserve anything. I will be the “happiest” right where God wants me.

So, I spent a month packing the house while Ricky was preparing for his work in Baltimore. We spent 2 and half weeks away from each other.  It was a hard month of packing, crying, and saying goodbye. But I believe that God is sovereign. We had wonderful support from our family and friends, though they did not want to see us go. We put our house up on the market and within 2 days it went under contract. Wow! After about 2 months everything was finalized and our house was sold. Just another answer to prayer and clear leading.

So here we are. Feels a little like we’ve gone back to college. We are in a small, one bedroom apartment that is on the church property. God has graciously provided this “home” for us, and we are thankful. I am actually, in a strange way, enjoying the smaller space. I have relied on Pinterest for small space decorating ideas!

We greatly miss our family, friends, and church back home.  But, we have seen God work in a variety of ways here already. It has not been perfect, but He is working. He has placed people in our lives that have been encouraging and helpful to us. We are continually excited about meeting new people and making a difference in their lives.

So, Can I say “home, sweet home” when I walk into our apartment? I think I can.

This is joy under the sun.

Photos in this post and on the home page were taken by More Than Just Pictures