Tim Wildmon

AFA president

May 2001 – Moving. The word itself makes a lot of us physically ill. As in, "I'm moving, would you please come over and help me?" In this case it makes the one asking for help ill, because he knows he must do it--that is, move. And then, the one who is being asked to help, somehow mysteriously, often develops symptoms of the common I-would-rather-die-than-help-you-move disease which affects many people when approached. 

Boy, could I tell you some stories about moving. I'm talking stories that would make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. But I will spare you here because I wish to get spiritual in a couple of moments. 

Although I've lived in northeast Mississippi for 36 of my 38 years, I have moved many times. Alison and I began in the married apartments on the campus of Mississippi State University back in 1984 with a tiny fold-out den and three giant cockroaches. We shut our bedroom door at night to keep them in the "kitchen." (It was about as big as your average shower.) Since that time we've had three children, collected a bunch of stuff, and just moved into a new home. And like the campus apartment, the house doesn't really belong to me. I call it the "bank's home." 

But back to the act of moving. My question is, does God cause us to engage in moving, or, does He merely allow it, an act of our own free will? Theologians have debated this for centuries with lines drawn between good people. If the Lord causes us to move, it becomes one of my big "why" questions when I get to heaven. I know a lot of you are with me here on this one. I'm not talking a first-question-right-off-the-bat type question. No. But perhaps after we've been there 10,000 years or so, it's something a few of us might bring up. I think the Lord would entertain it. I'll ask it myself unless, of course, that happens to be the day I am, well, moving from one mansion to another. If, however, the Lord just allows us to move, I must be more introspective. Then, I must ask, "Why, Lord, do I do this to myself?" My feelings about moving can be summed up with the words of Paul found in Romans 7:19-20: "For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me." 

So there you have it, readers. Moving is, actually, a sin. I don't write it, I just quote it. 

Seriously, what moving does is make you go through all the stuff you have collected under your roof since the last time you moved. We are amazed, are we not, at what we find. Alison and I threw away a lot of things we never used or even knew we had. We didn't want to clutter up our new closets with junk. We wanted a fresh start so we could collect new junk. (If you are waiting on the cliche´ that makes this column something of value beyond a laugh or two about moving--here it comes.) It's the same way in life. Ever so often we should "move"--if you will--take inventory and throw away the junk. I'm talking primarily about spiritual matters now. 

Maybe you are the type of person who keeps your spiritual oil clean daily. We should all live like that. I admire people who are consistent with Scripture study and prayer. That is the way it should be. I've never really been that way, I'll confess. I try. For years, I would start in January reading the One-Year-Bible. You know the one. I usually lasted until the end of January. One good thing about that experience is I basically know Genesis by heart. I can break down Genesis with you, if you want. 

So now I've resigned myself to the fact that if I can read a few verses each day--sometimes every other day--and pray during the day before I get tired at night, that is a goal I can reach without having to beat myself up all the time. The point is, in order to keep the junk from piling up in our spiritual lives, we must constantly be before God allowing Him to show us what needs to be thrown out--or better yet--what never needs to come into our spiritual house in the first place. Otherwise, we will dry up. And I've been bone dry a few times in my Christian walk as well. No fuel in the tank. And guess what? It was all my fault. God never leaves us or forsakes us, it is always we who leave and forsake Him. In our walk with Christ we are either going forward or we are slipping backwards. I'm convinced of that. 

By the way, if you want to say a prayer for my spiritual growth, please do. I need it. I do, however, have one other prayer request if you would. Please pray that Alison and I never, ever, not in a million years even, have a fleeting thought about moving again. Perish the thought of going through that sin again.