From the city to the country.

I was constantly cursing myself with all my “I’ll never” talk.

I’ll never leave the church I grew up in…they’re my family.

I’ll never leave my hometown.

I’ll never put my kids in public school.

I’ll never fly.

I’ll never. I’ll never. I’ll never.

Anywhere I had fear, I placed never.

In less than one year, God broke all the “never” curses I had spoken over the years.

First, I left the church.

The church that I grew up in, the church I got married in, the church I dedicated my children to the Lord in…the church I was at everyday of the week but Saturday.

I can honestly say, if I hadn’t lost my job, I’d still be right where I was…and God knew that.

Losing my position hurt.

Not just because I loved what I did, but I considered the vice principal to be my close friend-family.

I didn’t just lose my job, but I lost a friendship too.

Next thing I know, I found myself homeschooling while scoping out public schools near my dad for my kids to attend.

Before I knew it, I found one, and by April we were staying with my dad to see if it was a good fit…and it was!

I believed I’d be ok sending my children to this small country school and they’d be ok too.

I still wasn’t sure if the move was for us.

When I saw my grandparents’ house, the work that still needed to be done, the mice invasion, the clutter that remained behind…I wasn’t so sure I wanted to move.

It was a bit uncomfortable.

No blinds, no central heat and air, the toilets were nasty, the appliances were dated, no ceiling fans…my rotten was showing.

AND of course God was going to point that out to me.

How?

By putting me on an airplane.

I went from “I’m never flying” to boarding a plane to Brazil.

Brazil.

Of all places, that was my first flight.

It was in Brazil, ministering in the poorest of communities, that I saw just how rotten I had become.

Mothers were sweeping the dirt floors of their one room homes.

Dirt…the floors were dirt.

I came home from Brazil ready to pack. I would make my Grandparents’ house our new home…and that’s what I spent the rest of my summer doing.

So just like that I left the church I grew up in.

I flew to another country.

I moved from my hometown.

I enrolled my kids in public school.

I did it all afraid.

And nothing—I mean nothing was familiar or comfortable.

God would make me very uncomfortable for many more seasons to come.