Homeless... in Italy!
Yesterday was a big day for us in Colorado, even though the girls and I are in Italy right now…
Because we are now officially “homeless in Italy” as our home was sold yesterday! My husband was left with the task of finishing everything at the house and moving it all out and is headed here to join us this weekend.
As you probably have followed along on our journey from California to Colorado the last 4+ years, you’ll know that we had great plans for that land. It was where we thought the Lord wanted us to build and gather… but sometimes what we think (or want) are OUR plans, not God’s. Two years into that journey, on the day we moved in with all our boxes, the thought that came to my mind wasn’t “I’m home”… it was “This is going to be an amazing home for some other family some day!”
What the what? How did that come to my mind when I WAS THE ONE MOVING INTO THIS HOME?!
But God. All I know is we held that home with open hands and here we are. Sure there may have been a little hand prying because it will always be the house we built from the ground up, the biggest house we ever had, and the views… oh the views. But I’m laying in bed waking up in Bellagio… where this feels more home than that ever did.
And now we trust in God’s perfect timing (and will) like never before! Seriously… The last four years have grown us, tested our faith, stretched us in ways we probably didn’t want to be stretched, and made us dependent on Him more than ever before. Now we see how He allowed all of this to happen for His purposes, not ours. (and trust me when I say His purposes are SO much better than our own!) We have seen the goodness of our God in this journey, and there are many stories we will share.
But we are tired. And we have a retreat to put our hearts into right now. The girls and I are so excited to serve and love the women who are about to join us in a few days! We have much to do, and so many wonderful friends to say Ciao to here… so we know this IS exactly what God is calling us to do right now.
The theme this year is about sharing our stores… aka, the testimonies of what God is doing in our lives. What perfect timing God has. So these women will hear our stories… and we are even more excited to hear their testimonies! Because God is so good, and He does want us to gather in His name, to stir up love and good works! (Hebrews 10:24-25… the inspiration for our retreats)
So we will gather here on the shores of Lake Como and share life with these women, encourage each other to trust the Lord in every part of life, and see what God has for each of us next…
If you think this might be a place the Lord has for you next, we are opening registration for our 2023 retreats right here, June 18th!
I’ve sent out all the emails last night to everyone who requested the details, but you can find them on our last blog post as well. We thank you for prayerfully considering joining us and we thank you for all your prayers for this years retreats and our move, they have been so appreciated! We continue to ask for prayer as the women travel here and we prepare our hearts and minds for what the Lord wants us to share with them.
Hugs to all,
Laura McCollough