1700 Miles to a Rocky Mountain High

Copyright 2010 Roy Tennant, FreeLargePhotos.comNow he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams Seeking grace in every step he takes His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake And the Colorado rocky mountain high I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply Rocky mountain high "Rocky Mountain High" by John Denver

For almost two years on our way to church, we've seen a sign on the highway stating: 1700 miles to Denver. It also lists a city in Ohio that was over 400 miles away and the distance to St. Louis. Never saw a sign like that - usually the mileage signs indicate upcoming places and the major cities only a few hundred miles away. The interesting thing about the information on this sign is that Mr. Nice Guy has long desired to live in Colorado. Fell in love when we visited 10 years ago. But as much as he periodically knocked on the doors of opportunity to move to Colorado, there has never been an opening. Until now. We're leaving behind my beloved ocean and the familiar Blue Ridge Mountains for the Rockies. The impact of this move feels huge to me - we'll be far away from family and friends, in a different time zone and elevation. Though we've lived away from our parents for over a decade, it feels like we're finally leaving home and venturing out into the world on our own. That is so odd to me because I moved to AFRICA to live as a missionary before I was married. Talk about a time zone, elevation, extremely different life experience! The main difference must be having children. Not only do I need to process my various emotions and deal with them, I need to help the children with theirs and make the transition as easy as possible. I can't hide under the comforter when the details become overwhelming (well, not for too long, anyway). They will adapt and make new friends. I will adapt and make new friends...though this is really hard for me! I really like the longtime friends I'm used to seeing periodically. A drive of several hours is very different from a long, expensive plane ride. Boo Hoo. But these kindred spirits and I have remained close through the gazillion moves my family's already made, so I know they're not going anywhere. Thank you, sweet friends. And there are more treasures to be discovered in our new place. God has been extremely faithful to cross our paths with amazing people every place we've been, and He'll bring them by again. I just know it. (And by the way, thank you, amazing people from the past and along this journey that God brought our way. You have enriched our lives by sharing the gift of who you are!) Please pray for us as we gather up ourselves and prepare to make this monumental move. Along with it comes exciting opportunities for Mr. Nice Guy and for the rest of us too. I am believing that God, who spoke to Mr. Nice Guy a few months ago and started him along this path, will provide everything we need for the move. And please pray for our families - we're heartbroken in the midst of our excitement to move so far away from the ones we love.