Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my Grandma Jody. She was one of those women who had such a strong faith and charismatic demeanor, you couldn’t help but want to spend more time around her.
One of the biggest gifts she gave me was teaching me how to listen to that still small voice that God puts in your heart.
Three months ago, we began the house hunting process in Naples. We started spending our nights and weekends driving around to different neighborhoods. After finding a house we were DEAD SET on, we decided to write an offer.
As I was praying about it, I couldn’t ignore the gentle nudge on my heart that something about it wasn’t right.
I tried to ignore what I kept feeling, but it only continued to grow stronger.
One day I finally told Jake we needed to talk, and that I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were supposed to “consider Minnesota.”
He was SHOCKED. He knows how much I love living in Florida. From the school the kids go to, to the friends we’ve made, to the church we attend, to the SUNNY WEATHER every single day. It’s by far my most FAVORITE location we’ve ever lived!
Why on EARTH did we need to consider MN when we were finally starting to feel settled here?
The weeks that followed were confusing and frustrating. We tried to make sense of it. We tried to weigh the pros and cons. But that’s not how God works. Oftentimes our human minds can’t fully understand WHY, so we just have to TRUST.
One thing was certain. Over the last year, Jake has continued to serve his real estate clients in the Twin Cities. Our plan was that he’d finish selling the houses that were on the market, and then he’d transition to growing a real estate business in Florida. It turns out that while we’ve been living down here, Jake’s business up there has grown exponentially. He continues to get referral after referral, and new listings are popping up constantly, so he’s been traveling back and forth a lot.
I also have a large team of THRIVING coaches in the Midwest! As we realized just how much our businesses had grown up north, we felt confident that in order to steward them to the best of our abilities, we needed to be back up there!
While I’m a bit terrified of the cold weather and how it affects my mental health, I’m trusting God’s plan! (And will be working my BUTT off to buy a condo we can escape to in Naples ASAP! ?)
This has not been an easy decision as we’re so sad to leave behind dear friends we’ve made. I’ve shed many tears. This has been a year we will never forget, and one I truly believe our little family needed. In a way, it was a sabbatical that helped us create work / life balance that didn’t exist before.
All I know is this: God will ALWAYS lead you where you are supposed to go if you listen to that still small voice! He led us down here, and He’s leading us back up a year later! There’s a reason we go through every season we do, and you’ll never regret taking the road less traveled! ?
Minnesota friends, we’re SO excited to hug you in person soon! We’ll be back in Woodbury at the end of June, working hard to bring this beauty of a home back to life! Which by the way, I haven’t stepped foot in yet! Trusting my real estate genius of a husband on this one! ??
Let the house projects begin! ???
God is good, ALL THE TIME!!! ALL THE TIME, God is good!
xo,
Amber
