On the surface this picture doesn’t hold a lot of meaning. A young family is getting into a mini van. It seems to be a pretty summer day. They could be going anywhere.
But this ride would be different. This family was getting into this van to take a 14 hour trip half-way across the country into an unknown life.
This photo was taken as my family loaded up to head to Ft. Worth, Texas for my dad to attend Southwestern Seminary in the fall of 1989. At the time we did not know how long we would be there or where life would lead in the months and years that would follow. As far as we knew we were leaving “home” forever.
On this day there were tears, well wishes, and work to be done. We took all of our belongings to a rented house in an unknown town and began a new phase of life.
At the moment of this photo there were many more unknowns in life then ever before. For my parents, this must have been the largest leap of faith they had ever taken.
In the end, we did come home one year and nine months later. My dad took an exceptionally heavy load in school and ended up with a staff position in our home church. We even moved back into the house that my parents were never able to sell.
Looking back its easy to see God working in the lives of my mom and dad – however, in the moment pictured above, they were stepping out in faith.
