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40 Days of Faith – Day 7 | Farewell Neighbors

Day 7 of our #40daysoffaith adventure moving from MD to CO on the word of God was marked by a community moment I will remember for the rest of my life: when our neighbors descended on the playground by our house to hold an impromptu farewell party for us.

I watched my daughter play with the first four friends of her life: a two year old, a five year old, and two seven year olds. These kids were her first play dates, birthday parties, and—my favorite—after school playground meetups. One of the kids cried the whole time because she understood what “moving away” really meant. Two of the three moms cried and thanked me for my prayers. My husband thanked everyone for being such a blessing to us these past two years.

This neighborhood was the first time I felt like I was a part of the neighborhood. I not only knew my neighbors by name, I knew their kids, some of their struggles, and some of their victories. I could text or knock on their door to ask for a play date or a couple of eggs, as could they. It took a LOT of prayer walking through the neighborhood to get to this moment (and it felt too slow for a long time) but this act of love and kindness on their part showed me that what I had been contending for in prayer was real and important.

After we bid them farewell, we hitched up the R-pod to the U-haul, turned in our house keys (it was a rental) and drove away—until we got one mile down the road and pulled into the nearest gas station in Odenton, MD. (LOL!) Then, we really drove away and didn’t stop until we got to the next state. After a supercharge & dinner in Ashland, VA, we made it to our first overnight stop: the Cracker Barrel in Williamsburg, VA. It sure was a better day than yesterday and we have been having a great time, even though the first day of a road trip/camping trip is always the hardest.

The Prayer

God, help us to soak in all that you have done in this last season of our lives. Show us all that we need to remember so that we can grow and help others grow. Thank you for our first taste of the blessing of community. Show us how to do it more and better, always. So be it—amen.

The Challenge

What is your #40daysoffaith adventure and how did Day 5 go? What does fear, doubt, or unbelief look or feel like to you?

3 responses to “40 Days of Faith – Day 7 | Farewell Neighbors”

  1. […] & My Family Story 40 Days of Faith – Day 6 | My God Story & My Family Story 40 Days of Faith – Day 7 | My God Story & My Family Story 40 Days of Faith – Day 8 | My God Story & My Family Story 40 Days of Faith […]

  2. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    I’m so happy that you had such a loving send off. Can’t wait to see how this adventure unfolds!!

    1. Tenay Benes Avatar

      Yes, it was beautiful. Me, too, sister!

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