Trainspotting (not the movie)

It's become routine.  The sound of a train passing behind our house.  It's become a normal, everyday part of our life here in Kentucky.  Even Caleb, our avid trainspotter, has begun to shrug off the passing trains as just a regular part of life in the village.

But every now and then the noise we hear is a little different, enough to grab our attention and make us take notice of the tracks behind the house.  Sometimes it's just a particularly loud train, sometimes it's one of the many pieces of odd equipment that gets used to keep the trains running, and sometimes it's the one engine that for some reason feels the need to blow its horn RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOUSE (I have no idea why; it's just one and its usually at naptime). 

More often the ones that grab my attention are the trains that come to stops behind our home.  I'm not sure why they stop.  I guess somewhere further up the line the something cool is happening.  But here we just see and hear the cars slowing down and stopping.  Do you know how long it takes a train to stop?  It is a really long time.  I haven't actually timed it but I'll tell you what, those creaks and groans and screeches seem to drag on forever.  The trains shudder and shimmy, their cars make all sorts of creaking noises and brakes eek and squeal for what seems like an eternity.  And just when you think it's finally stopped, it gives this final shiver and honestly, it sounds like the poor thing has died.  Then, a few minutes later, it all starts again - the creaking, grinding, moaning and groaning and eventually the massive metal object begins a forward momentum and vacants our back yard.  Caleb stands at the top of our stairs yelling, "Bye! Bye!" and after a while the train moves on.

As I was running one day, a train began slowing down next to me.  I thought to myself, "I wonder if I can run longer than it takes a train to stop?"  I can, but that's not really the point of this little blog.  As I was running, I felt as though God began speaking His truth to me yet again.  You see, we, the Embrees, were on the fast track of life, zooming along and blowing our little horn as we raced on the tracks of life.  Then all of the sudden, God started slowing us down.  I say all of the sudden but what I really mean is, slowly and painstakingly, God started slowing us down.  We creaked and groaned and shuddered and screeched but eventually we got still.  And in that moment we heard His voice leading us to Asbury Seminary and Wilmore, Kentucky.  

We were on the right track and headed in the right direction but God had some things He wanted to do in the down time.  He taught us so much about love and faith and dependence on Him in those months before our move, lessons that will stay with us for a lifetime.  During our first two months here, He led us to new friends and new things to learn and experience and now, it's time.  With classes in full swing, my new job, the girls school and Caleb just being Caleb, the Conductor has begun to move the Embree train forward again.

I find myself reminding myself (I talk to myself a lot apparently) that it takes ALMOST as long for the train to start moving again as it does for the train to come to a stop.  There are lots of ugly noises, uncomfortable-sounding groanings, and some creaking and screeching and straining.  I'm not great with the whole TIME thing.  I'm all about, "Let's get in and let's do this thing...today!"  But I've been reminded over the past week that "it takes five years to have a a friend you've had for five years."  Having spent the weekend with my sister Joanna and best friend Miriam, my heart felt at home.  These ladies know me, my history, my hurts, my joys and my quirks and love me anyway and wrap me in that love.  Watching them drive away was seriously one of the hardest moments for me here.  I wanted to pull them back and say, "No!  Stay!  You belong here with me.  My heart says you belong here."

It was quite the screeching, groaning moment for my soul.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea of moving ahead, of letting the Conductor pull me forward and on to wherever He's got this train headed.  But God is pretty cool about these moments.  As I spent the day with Him on Monday and shared my heart with my husband that evening, I was reminded again that He has a goal in mind; He sees the track and knows the destination.  It's not easy to get a train moving forward but once its going; it is going!  God also sent me some timely and loving reminders through new and old friends, some special conversations and some blessed moments that even though it's hard to start moving, we are not alone.

I like to think that as some of you read about our experiences here with moving, transitioning, schooling and adjusting, that it strikes a chord with you in regard to some experience you've had or are having in life. Maybe you are in that place where the train is slowing down and it's frustrating and painful and seems to take forever.  Maybe you're at a stop not knowing when or where you will start moving again.  And maybe you are like us, starting forward, slowly and creakingly, as God moves you in a new direction as a family or in your own personal life.  Regardless, may I encourage you as I have been encouraged by the trains behind our house?  I have never seen a train stop and just stay there.  I've never seen a train unable to stop or unable to start.  I've never seen a train fall apart or break to pieces no matter how terrible the stopping and starting may sound.  And I've never seen a train "left behind" as the engine moves ahead.

I've also never seen a believer abandoned by their God.  I've never seen a Christ-follower stuck forever in their faith.  I've never seen a seeker slowed to a stop forever by circumstance or doubt.  If we let the Conductor lead us forward, slow us down, and stop us for a while, He will always be faithful to take us where we need to go and to let us know, He's got us in his capable hands.  

Our little family train is picking up steam.  We're finding our rhythm and the forward momentum is beginning to take us with Him.  As we each find our place here and in the kingdom of God, I anticipate that our time on this leg of our journey will speed along quite nicely and before we know it, we'll be slowing down again and listening for God's direction for the next track of our life.  And He is faithful to lead the way.