My Move to Virginia

Wow! It’s hard to believe that I moved to Virginia over 2 years ago! I moved here in March of 2021. It was truly a move of faith. Though I know God told me to move, I didn’t know exactly where I was going or why. Only that I needed to move to Virginia. I didn’t have a job lined up. I didn’t know where I was going to live. And I didn’t know anybody in Virginia. I just knew that I needed to go. I felt this overwhelming urge in my spirit to move. And I knew it was time for me to get the heck out of Jacksonville! I was obedient to my calling and I moved, even in the uncertainty. 

I had spent over ten years in Jacksonville, feeling out of place and stuck. I always questioned whether it was a good idea to move back to Florida. Since the day I set foot back in St. Augustine, my life started to fall apart. Or so it felt. I kept spiraling further down, experiencing one bad moment after another. Making one bad decision after another.

After living in St. Augustine for a few years, I moved to Jacksonville, looking for a fresh start and new opportunities. And though things did seem to get better - eventually - I still felt out of place. I didn’t know where I was supposed to be, but I was certain that it wasn’t there.

There wasn’t any particular thing or person that made me feel that way. It was just how I felt. I felt that I needed to get out of Jacksonville, and I prayed for a way. After several years of unanswered prayers, I prayed one last time, giving my desire to leave Jacksonville to God. I vowed to stop obsessing over leaving and to patiently wait until God was ready for something new for me. After a few more years of waiting, I got a word from God. Then I got a confirmation. It was official, God was calling me to move.

Finally! 

But…God didn’t give me any strict details... 

He just told me to move. To move to Virginia.

This lack of information made me excited about the adventure of moving but scared about it at the same time. I didn’t really have any reasons to move to Virginia. I didn’t know anybody there. I wasn’t affiliated with any organizations. But, I knew I needed to go.

While praying about where I would be going, the city of Norfolk stood out to me. Then, I came across this job posting in Norfolk that, again, stood out to me. I didn’t know why the city stood out to me so strongly. I had no connection with Norfolk. I had never even heard of it! But, again, I felt that this was where God was telling me to go.

God soon told me when to move and gave me more firm details once I arrived here.

So… I moved to Norfolk, VA! And it would turn out to be an adventure unlike any I’ve ever experienced!

I saved up every penny that I could. I rented a U-Haul, packed up all of my belongings, and hit the road to my new home. When I arrived, I immediately got to work! I quickly found an extended stay hotel in a decent area, and I landed a job. I had hit the ground running! And everything seemed to be falling easily into place and working out great for me… At first.

The Last Time We Spoke

The last time I spoke with you, I told you that I would share the trials of my life throughout 2021 and how they affected me. The thing is, I was still experiencing those trials at the time of that last post. I still am, in some ways. But, things have gotten progressively better for me. I have made some drastic changes in my life and in my mind. 

It’s so funny how fast time flies when you’re busy dealing with life and trying to figure things out. I’ve learned so much in the last 6 months alone! It’s like God has sped up the learning process for me. I’m feeling a great sense of urgency that I can’t explain. I don’t know exactly what’s coming, but I feel that something BIG is about to happen. 

I’m excited about it! And apprehensive at the same time. Am I ready for what’s next? Have I learned all of the lessons that I need to learn? Have I internalized them? 

God knows. 

I have said before, and I truly believe, that every experience is a learning opportunity. I believe that everything - good or bad - happens for a reason. And when we search for that reason, we will learn very valuable lessons that we can take forward and apply to similar situations in the future. Whenever I go through difficult situations, I ask God to show me the lesson in them. I realize I’m not going through these situations for nothing. What should I be learning? What should I take away from this? 

Many of us are trapped in our lack of understanding of why something has happened or is happening to us. We tend to just sit in our situations, upset that they are happening and allowing them, rather than being active in getting through them. I encourage you to, right in the middle of it, ask God why you’re going through that difficulty. What lesson are you to learn from it? How are you to proceed forward?

You can even ask about something that has happened to you in the past. Try not to ask in accusation. But, go to God in humility and ask in order to gain knowledge and understanding. 

Many people think that we can’t talk to God or ask Him tough questions, but we can. Old religion has taught us that we aren’t supposed to “question” God; we’re not supposed to ask Him what or why. But Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us not to lean on our own understanding. It tells us to go to God for His understanding and His direction. How are we supposed to gain true understanding and know in what direction we are supposed to go if we don’t ask? 

God tells us we can come to Him (Matthew 11:28) and His Word encourages us to cast our cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He has made Himself available to us all. And he IS listening!

Once I submitted myself to God and humbled myself before Him, He began to highlight my insufficiencies – places where I was spiritually bound and the reasons why I was struggling. He began to show me where and how I can improve and become a better, more powerful, version of myself. 

I’m still working and growing, but I think I’m ready to share my experiences and lessons with you, again. I’m ready to take you through my journey over the last couple of years, as well as share what is going on with me right now. It’s been quite an adventure!! A lot has happened! And I believe that, through it all, God has been - and is - preparing me for what and where He is about to take me into next!