More From Tandy Balson

My life has changed considerably since I wrote the meditation about being weary and needing rest.

My husband and I had a desire to simplify our lives and made the decision to sell our home and move into something much smaller. Still, the decision to close this chapter was not an easy one. There comes a time, however, when in order to move forward, we need to let go of things that are holding us in the past. That time had come.

I hadn’t anticipated how difficult it would be to part with our accumulation of material things. Our new living space would be less than half the size of the one we were vacating, and the volume of decisions to be made was overwhelming. We were physically and emotionally exhausted.

Once those decisions had been made, we were faced with a new set to consider. We wanted to replace the flooring and refresh the paint before moving into the two-bedroom apartment we had purchased. Our son and daughter-in-law have built, renovated, designed and decorated several spaces and we value their opinions, so we invited them to give us their input. 

They looked at the space and asked us an unexpected question. Our son, Chris, said, “I have a proposal for you. Would you be willing to turn the keys over to us on possession day and let us take care of getting the work done? Jackie and I have some ideas that will make this space work well for you, and you could have some rest time while we do it.”

The decisions we’d had to make for downsizing had been stressful, and I was ready to give up the need for making more. But how could we have no involvement in what our new home would look like? Chris and Jackie asked us lots of questions, took room measurements, and several “before” pictures.  We made one final decision and gave total control to our kids.

Soon the stress of packing was behind us and our belongings were put into storage.  A full-service campground about forty minutes away became our home for the next month. We settled into our RV and prepared to relax.

Once our son started the work, we were not allowed access. A couple of times a week we would stop by for the mail. I would simply go into the lobby, check the mailbox, and leave the building.

Yes, I was curious about what was happening behind closed doors. Like a child at Christmas, I was tempted to peek. Instead, I honored the request to stay away and not spoil the surprise.

The long-awaited day of the renovation reveal finally arrived. At the appointed time, we entered the building. Two of our granddaughters were waiting to escort us down the hall when we stepped off of the elevator. The third was waiting near our door with her parents. I did my best to remain calm as our approach was filmed.

“Are you ready to see your new home?” we were asked. Chris and Jackie stepped aside. We walked through the door and caught the first glimpse of our home.

They had done an amazing job of creating a beautiful space for us. I looked around at the attention to little details I wouldn’t have thought of and saw the love that was poured into this project.

This was an amazing start to our new chapter of life, and I’m excited to experience what God has yet to write.