I’m Packing Up

(He looks left to see if there’s any emails not yet sent that might get in his way – none there.  He looks right to see if any great gospel artists have passed on deserving a special tribute – none there.  It is safe to blog and so he begins …)

There is a convention across the pond known as the Gospel Music Workshop of America and it was the place where some of the industry’s heavyweights would come together to encourage others in the industry and also see what others in the industry were putting their minds to kin progressing in the industry.  It’s a good thing it has not lead to any industrial disputes.

Anyway among the chin-wagging and that palaver from time to time they put together a recording set for release as an album featuring some of the guests who turn up and a choir of their choosing.  A lot of the feature guests are up and coming names that few know today and plenty will know tomorrow.  Quite a few years ago now, one of those stars was a young dynamic songwriter and choir leader by the name of Kirk Franklin.

He did a song for one of the the albums called I’m Packing Up.  Now this was in the days when the lyrical content didn’t have to be that sharp to catch my attention – a good tune, good musical framework, something catchy and I’m a sucker for that.  So all these years later the only aspect of the lyrical deal that catches me mind’s eye is the title of the song which as you can imagine forms an important part of the chorus.

A long way of saying that the big news that I’ve had in the locker for quite some time is that I am indeed packing up.

We’re moving.

By now you should know my love for moving and all the stuff that comes with it, so in the light of that you’ll know that this decision was not made lightly at all.  Also you’ll be wise to point out that it is only seven months since we last moved.  In that time Authrine has given birth to our beautiful baby girl Zoë and the other girls have only just started to settle down in their school and all that jazz.

A great argument would suggest that we should be looking to plant roots where we’re at and not seek to disrupt everyone and everything again with what would be something like the tenth move in as many years and half that much in the lifetime of the middle girl Abigail.

What I can say presently is that it is a brilliant argument and one that would normally hold sway.  Yet these are not normal times or circumstances and because of the considered process we as a family have taken to get where we are, we are very mindful of not missing out what God is saying.

Tonight in putting Abigail and Deborah to sleep I told a story loosely based on the Exodus one where a people where oppressed.  For years they cried out for release but none was forthcoming.  Then God turns up and say He will rescue them and do it so miraculously and marvellously that they need to get packed up today to be ready to move tomorrow.

At that news some of the people get their stuff together.  They have been waiting for this moment all their lives and now it’s come, they don’t want to miss out.  Others however are a bit more cautious noting how time before there have been others who have promised great things, but have not delivered.  So as to be wise in their own eyes, they decide to put a hold on the packing deal and wait to see how things pan out the next day and then decide then what to do.

Sure enough by the next morning, God does something miraculous and wonderful and the people have the opportunity to leave their situation there and then.  Those who have packed up and ready to go, get to stepping.  Meanwhile those who were cautious struggle to get their things together and take so long that by the time they get round to it and are ready to leave, the oppressors have gathered their wits about them and encircle them looking for an example to make of their humiliation.  Needless to say their end is not as they would have wished.

You might pick up elements of the wise and foolish virgins in that story to the children as well.  I just did as well, but only picked that up as I was writing it down, you see I tend to make up the story as I go along.  What a wonderful resource the Bible is for making up various gripping stories.

In any case, in a way not too dissimilar to the scenario outlined the Dryden Family have been given an opportunity to move on and because we are learning not to be slow in being obedient we’re doing what we can to be obedient.  Don’t get me wrong, though.  The last seven months have not been slavery for us.  On the contrary the last month or so things have really been developing rather well here and we were all set to think about how things could develop.  Yet even in the midst of it all there were stirrings, hints and murmurings, little pointers …

As I may have indicated earlier there were one or two people I needed to inform before I made it public, but now they know and time is winding up.  Put it this way, all being well this time next week I’ll be blogging from the new location and that new location is … going to be revealed in further updates.

In the meantime, like little young Kirk told the folks at GMWA all those years ago.

I’m packing up.

Pray for us y’all.

For His Name’s Sake#

Shalom

dmcd