Wings to Fly - 22

Memoir Index

Leaving Chicago Home

2007

By January 2007, I was in Goshen studying full time to pass Indiana Pharmacy Law exam. I also needed some time off to recollect my life and I was in no hurry to get back to work. Tom would be in Chicago full time working on the house. He would regularly put in twelve hour days. Tom came home to Goshen on weekends. Our older children continued to live in Chicago.

In May, 2007, we finally put our Chicago home on the market. The preparation to sell this home had taken nine months. We were finally together in one home in Goshen as a family. Now the three of us were coming up to Chicago on Friday afternoons and going back to Goshen by Saturday evenings. I loved it. Each Saturday we were in Chicago, we hosted a breakfast and had visits or bible studies. Sundays were filled with Goshen church friends and activities. I loved our busy weekends. Our lives were so full.

We were discovering Goshen. It seemed unimaginable that I who have known only big cities was here in Goshen. Tom and I started to explore the town. This became a sweet time to rediscover the joy of spending time together. Sometimes after being married for so long we can forget to do simple things in life that builds up our relationship.

We were praying that our Chicago house would be sold. Financially and practically it needed to be sold. It was a real struggle. I did not want to sell it. As our finances became difficult, we had two houses and no income to support them for six months. I reluctantly told the Lord that I would be willing to let go of our Chicago home.

In June of 2007 I got a part time job in Goshen working for Kroger Food and Drugs. Now I was secretly hoping the Chicago home would not get sold. At this time my father’s health was declining rapidly. I was once again glad that we had this home in Chicago. I was practically commuting from Chicago to work in Goshen to be near my dying father as much as possible.

It seems that I am always battling between two choices, in this case, to sell the Chicago home or to keep it. I told the Lord that I was willing to have Him take away the hold I have on our home. Tom wanted to sell it as quickly as possible. He wanted to ease my life of financial stress and that I could stay home more if my health required it. It was not until January of 2008 that my heart was free & clear. My heart no longer had any hold on it.