Numbers 9:17, 18  Whenever the cloud lifted from over the sacred tent, the people of Israel would break camp and follow it. And wherever the cloud settled, the people of Israel would set up camp. In this way, they traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. (NLT)

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When is it time to move? When God says, “Go.” 

Seventeen and a half years ago, we followed God’s direction to the home where we now reside. I prayed for two years, asking God where in the world he wanted us to go next. Maps of the world were searched for clues. Nations and people groups became my daily study. Wherever God wanted us to go, that’s where I wanted to go.

He did not want us to move outside the USA. So, I put away the globe and began focusing on a nice, flat map of America from coast to coast. Five places intrigued me. Then, three more deeply impressed me. Finally, one place stopped me. We got to visit that place when we fled the Texas coast as a hurricane approached. 

We liked what we saw and experienced. The climate was much better for my allergies. I continued praying, seeking more clarity. 

As I continued praying about where in this area we might live. Two main streets stood out. As far as I could remember, I had never driven on either of those avenues. Long story short, our home backs up to one of those streets. 

We love our humble house on the side of the hill. We love our neighbors. We love the laughter in these walls, remember the tears that spilled on these floors,  and recall the prayers that have arisen from here all the way to heaven 

Why move? Because God says, “Go.” Well, that, and our daughter said it would be nice if we moved a little closer to help with our granddaughter and her little sister, who is due soon. 

We prayed and prayed and continue praying. We are not praying for a quick sale—at least, I am not. The woman downstairs may be praying in that manner. Me? I’m praying for the right buyer at the right price at the right time. Most of all, I want whoever inhabits these rooms in the years to come to enjoy this house as much as we have. 

I want them to know the upstairs den is a great place to kneel and pray about the big issues of life. It’s where our daughter and her friends prayed for a classmate who was fighting a dread disease. He was named Homecoming King posthumously. The standing ovation in the stadium that night still stirs my heart. 

The chair behind me, where I spend time alone with God every morning, is another hallowed space for prayer. When our son was deployed to the other side of the world, I would kneel and pray there. His big dog would wander over and lick me in the ear. Our son said it was God reminding me that he was listening. 

I knelt on the stone floor downstairs during a particularly hard time. That’s all I have to say about that. I’ve knelt by our bed and by our sofa. This whole house is a good place to pray. 

We have laughed luxuriously in the dining room, the living room, the den, and the kitchen. We have soaked up the warmth from our glass log heater and from the hearts of all who’ve gathered and found rest here. 

We hosted a college student for a summer who continues delighting us with kind notes now and again. 

I could go on.

What’s the difference between a house and a home? One is inanimate. The other is full of life. 

Our next house shows ample signs of life. It will be fun carrying on the legacy of prayer, tears, and laughter that make a house a home.

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I will pray for those who learn to love this house as we do and make it a home as we have.

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Our Father, bless those who will follow us in this house. May they make it a home as we have. May it provide them with a place to stand as they put themselves together. May it become a place to gather those they love most. May it host wonderful meals. May it protect them when tears come. May it echo with laughter. May it warm and welcome. May it cool and refresh. May it become the home of their dreams. Amen.