Returning to the Mitten - Small Family Update

Running - What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger?

I went for a run on Thursday morning at the end of April. I was in West Michigan for a consulting project and enjoying a later start to the day. I left my in-laws house to run a route I enjoyed many years ago.

Lindsay's uncle has a home on my West Michigan running route, and I decided to stop to say hello while running. I simply wanted to offer a hug and enjoy some connection. It was a delightful pitstop. I said, "I miss you." He said, "I miss you, too. Come home." His demeanor was energizing and directness a bit unraveling. His words fell distinctly on my ears. I continued running and his words wouldn’t leave me. I kept running and wondering if/how I should tell Lindsay about the encounter.

Siri called Lindsay while I continued running. I wasn't going too fast (I couldn't if I tried according to my son). I asked Lindsay, "What if I said when we leave for Bethany we will not be returning to South Carolina?" There was silence on the other end. By now I was breathing like a runner. When she finally spoke, tears tethered to her speech. 

The response to the question demonstrated the importance of the possibility for her. She has an incredible job at an incredible place! Furman has been an excellent stop in her vocational journey. To give this up proved to me that it is time to return home. 

We move in June.

Our Kids

We shared the news with our kids, and to each one there is excitement. Micah has the most to lose, and he is rightly concerned about his coach and teammates. He is also aware of the opportunity to complete as a runner in West Michigan. MAdeline has had enough to wonder if SC will ever be home. Maggie embraced us at the announcement. Micah, Madeline, and Maggie quickly picked up their phones to share the news with their Michigan friends.

Our Work

Lindsay will leave her incredible work at Furman. She has made a huge impact, as she does wherever she serves. She is unsure of what is next, yet for anyone who knows her, she will find firm footing in an exceptional role, whether pastoring, working with students, or some other adventure that is yet to be known. 

I am beyond grateful that Anderson University will let me take my job with me for the foreseeable future. I will work semi-remote/hybrid with scheduled trips back to Upstate SC on a regular basis. This will serve my need to connect with colleagues and increase my annual days of sunshine exposure.

Lindsay and I have long believed working and an income were driving forces for many other decisions. We believe family is first but working is the way to support family. We still hold these two variables-family and work- in high regard. This will allow us to be much closer to Lindsay’s side of our family.

How We Got Here

Yet we believe the Spirit is speaking and moving in our lives in ways we don’t always understand. This is how we originally made the decision to move to South Carolina and away from West Michigan. The Spirit was speaking then, and we sought to participate. We are hoping our upcoming move is again aligned with the Spirit. We are grateful for the friends and mentors who have confirmed the decision with us. 

We have had an incredible experience these last two years. We have new friends; new work experiences; and new discoveries. But we have also experienced great suffering. Madeline’s diagnosis and procedures were intense, and it will be years before we understand the impact of it all. I’m grateful we were in South Carolina for the procedures. Incredible care would have been available in Michigan, but traveling from Holland to Grand Rapids as often as we traveled to offices in South Carolina would have been quite difficult over two winter seasons. Moving now gives Madeline a fresh start for high school, and Maggie will begin middle school. We recognize the cost for Micah, yet believe in his agility and resilience.  

There are many details to unfold but we covet your prayers for the coming weeks. The move will take place this summer, and we cannot imagine how it will all work but we are trusting that it will.