Is this God's plan for my life?

[Zim]

Hello all you special people,

I think I am just writing all this down to get things a little clearer in my own head but of course your opinions would be great too as I am confused!

Does anyone out there ever really wonder if they are 'meant' to make the move or not? My husband, myself and our two small boys have all got our PR and we are supposed to validate before the 8th of June. I want to move to Aus so badly and our situation here in Zimbabwe gets worse daily - this time last year we were still ok, this year we can't figure out how we can possibly afford a visa activation trip to Aus..

All of this should be writing on the wall for us but there is this horrid feeling in my gut that tells me it's not time to go....I really feel that maybe God has a plan and a purpose for us here in Zimbabwe, if nothing more than to teach us to be humble and count our blessings everyday.

Maybe that feeling in my gut is fear of the unknown, maybe it's because deep down we'd all like to just be able to stay at home and be safe and happy in the land of our birth, but maybe it really is a sign from God to wait on His timing and trust that he will provide for us.

Gosh, if I sound confused its because I am. Thanks for sticking with me thus far cyber friends! What do you think?

[Sunnyskies]

My take on it was/is that if you are not meant to go you won't get the visa or the opportunity. Learning to be humble can take place in so many different ways and I think the move can be humbling in itself as it strips away all your pretensions that you so often hide behind.

Edited March 18, 2013 by Sunnyskies

[Kanniewagnie]

You have the opportunity: take it.

Think of the comparison HEOJJ often uses of how cozy and relaxing it was in the lounge of the Titanic with the music playing while the others outside fought to get into a life boat. Truth is: you are sitting in that lounge now, with a ticket (that has your name on) to that life boat. Don't cry when it's too late and you wasted that chance. God can use us in Aus too...

Edited March 18, 2013 by Kanniewagnie

[sianvz]

My husband and I questioned a lot whether emigration was God's plan for us or not because we felt that maybe it wasn't right to chase after a better life. After spending almost a year in Australia for a working holiday in 2010 we really wanted to go back. The feeling just nagged us and never went away.

We decided to discuss it with our pastor and his wife to get their opinion. They told us that sometimes God puts a desire in your heart as part of His plan for your life and to guide you in the right direction. We mustn't be afraid of making something happen if it's something we want. Often people misunderstand that we're not allowed to want because maybe it's not God's plan. But often part of His plan is to give us that desire in our hearts.

I agree that you wouldn't have got the visa if it wasn't God's plan. Spend some real quiet time praying about it and asking for clarity. God will provide for you whether it's an activation trip or maybe it's time for you to actually make the big move in June. If you feel you have some unfinished business in Zim then He will show you what that is, if it's time to go, then He will show you that it is.

I hope you find clarity and peace with whatever you decide. Just as a last bit of inspiration, a sermon by Brian Houston from Hillsong I listened to the other day spoke of creating opportunities for yourself to bless others and not sitting around idle for things to work out the way you want.

[Alida]

Hi Zim ! I agree with Sunnyskies, if God wanted you to stay, you would not have received PR. Remember, God not always do things to keep YOU humble (that is often a lie from you enemy to keep you afraid and restrained to do anything), He sometimes NEEDS you to go and do His will. Obviously your door is open, so obviously you're going !

I want to tell you a short story to help you think about how you feel.

Once a lady went on a tour to Israel with the express desire to see the sheep follow their shepherd. She wanted to see how they follow his voice as she was told they do. The first flock of sheep she saw though, ran helter skelter all over the road, with a man screaming and running behind them, trying to keep them in the general direction he wanted them to go. Totally disappointed, she asked the tour guide what was that all about, she heard the sheep follow their shepherd as he calls them and they know his voice. The tour guide told her politely: 'Ma'am, you don't understand - that man was not the shepherd. He was the slaughterer. He HAS to chase them, he HAS to scream and frighten them in order to get them moving. They don't know his voice, so they'll never follow him.

The same is with us. We know our Shepherd and following His Voice, gives us peace and sure direction. He walks in front, searching for safe, peaceful pastures for His sheep. If the feelings you have about staying - like feeling guilty to go, feeling afraid to be wrong, feeling afraid that you're going to do the wrong thing by going, it is not your Shepherd calling you by your name. It's the slaughterer, and you have full right to tell him you're not going to listen to his voice anymore, you are following you Shepherd.

Think about your emotions: fear, uncertainty, doubt. That's SO NOT FROM GOD ! And why go on an activation trip ? Pack up and leave, activate as you enter permanently - save you all the money, and God is 100% trustworthy - it's not called a LEAP of faith for no reason !

Remember, you may always come back. But you will not necessarily again have a chance to go ...

[zamunda]

Agree with Sunnyskies whole heartedly.

The granting of the Visa (which many people out there find very difficult to get) should be the sign you need to look at.

You will find majority of people in Oz to be very simple and down to earth. This in it self can be a humbling experience.

Going over to a place like Oz from our part of the world, makes us appreciate everything Oz has to offer.

It is always difficult to break out of our comfort zones. But once you move out of it, you realise what you have been missing out on.

All the best!

Edited March 18, 2013 by zamunda

[Alida]

I mean, we received clearcut guidance from God that we should go, but now our visa app is stuck in Category 5, with another year or so to go, unless a miracle happens. Sometimes one have to wait on His timing. You have it. Your time is now. GO.

[HadEnoughofJuju]

If I have learnt one thing through this process it's everything has happened for a reason with the right timing. For a long time I ignored the church and God because of what had happened in my past but he still managed to use this process to show me that no matter what I do or want, things will happen the way they were planned for me in his timing.

If we had done things in our time we may never had made piece with our family, I would have had to re-write my drivers license (which is the thing I was dreading about this process the most).

I am sure you have asked the question many times living in Zimbabwe, please God show us a way out. Well he gave it to you. I have to agree with everyone who has said it so far, if you weren't meant to get the visa then you wouldn't have.

You have come this far it would be silly not to use the opportunities presented to you. You have to ask your self, is Zimbabwe ever going to climb out of the hole it has crawled into or is it just going to dig itself deeper and deeper?

Think about it like this, if you have to sell everything you have to afford the trip to Australia and land there with nothing but your suitcases, the clothes on your back and a couple of dollars in your pocket, you will still be better off than where you are now. You will have a future to look forward to. With Zimbabwe's economic history you may just be stuck there with nothing and no future, where do you go then?

Just on the side, where do you guys plan on going in Australia?

[HadEnoughofJuju]

@Alida, I know this might sound rich coming from someone who hasn't been at it very long and already has their visa but I need to say this anyway. You have been faithful and have done your part and need to keep doing your part, that visa will come and your dreams will come true. I personally would have gone insane if I was made to wait as long as you have. Perseverance and determination does pay off and when it does it will be more rewarding than you can imagine.

[Zim]

Thank you all so much, I guess it's unanimous then :-)

You have all made me think so much and realize that maybe I can give myself permission to really do this thing and know that my family and I deserve it!

[MandC]

Zim, I agree with all of the above. I know that the activation trip is expensive. When we finally got our PR in 2011 our lives had also changed quite a bit. Hubby got promoted to associate, we bought a house, etc etc. So we were not sure anymore if we still wanted to go (we waited more than 2 years to get approved)

However, we decided in the end to at least activate the visas. Because that gives us more time to decide. We fell in love with Australia all over again on our activation trip, and decided that we did want to go.

So borrow the money if you have to, but at least go and activate them. Because that will give you 5 years to decide if you still want to go. Life turns on a dime. And we do not know what lies ahead tomorrow. If your visas are activated, at least it will give you that option at any time.

[Alida]

@ HEOJJ - thank you so very much for the encouraging words, the emotions sometimes is very close to the surface ! Looking forward is sometimes difficult, but looking back, we can very much understand why we could not yet go. On my side, also had family-issues to work through, I needed to make peace with some aspects of my past, my mom needed much help since my daddy died last year April in an aircraft accident, etc. Now that we 'feel' we're settled regarding family and responsibilities etc., hubby and I recently unanimously told ourselves 'it's time to go now'. For the first time in this whole process, we're completely together in all the phases one go through in this process of immigration. So that needed to happen as well. I was the hasty one, even though hubby is the organizer between us. I had to work hard on myself not to push him !!

It's a strange process. In my deeep-deep heart I 'know' we'll go at God's perfect time - my human emotions sometimes do get the better of me and then I'll shed a tear, get irritated or frustrated, and then sanity prevails again. Constant downplay of flesh vs spirit, if you may !

Yes, that visa will come at the perfect time - I just need to always remember not to look at the waves around us - it creates panic and fear.

Thank you so much once again !

@ Tati1 - soooo happy we could help you !! So go now, pack and just go - you'll never regret it !!

[Jacques Voogt]

We regret not the things we did, we regret the opportunities we had and did not take.

Think back in your life at the choices you made and what you regret. I'll bet this rings true.

[Riekie]

Sometimes we're looking so hard for what God wants, that we don't see the answer He put right in front of us;

There was a preacher who fell in the ocean and he couldn't swim. When a boat came by, the captain yelled, "Do you need help, sir?" The preacher calmly said "No, God will save me." A little later, another boat came by and a fisherman asked, "Hey, do you need help?" The preacher replied again, "No God will save me." Eventually the preacher drowned & went to heaven. The preacher asked God, "Why didn't you save me?" God replied, "Fool, I sent you two boats!"

Don't miss the boat - it may be God sent...

[Maktub]

Hi Zim,

I grew up in Francistown, Botswana..so was only a little ways from Zim...and had many a fantastic holiday and school camp there! I also do know a lot of Zimbos (in Zim, SA and Aus).

Someone once said to me after their emigration from Zim "It feels like I am coming out of a fog", or to put it more bluntly "out of an abusive relationship". You have done your all for the place but you are getting nothing back...and you just keep putting more in, because it is what you have always done.

Sometimes there are bigger plans for you than you can even comprehend!

I say give Oz a bash! Your boys will thank you when they are 25 and starting their first jobs!!!

You too have big things to do as a citizen of the world...it will all be revealed in God's own time!!

[LizM]

I operate on the green light principle - Lord if it's Your will make the lights green for whatever needs to come and I keep going until I get a red light.

[VanWyke]

Sometimes God gives us more than one option-to go to Australia or to stay in Zimbabwe. Which ever you choose, He will guide you and still bless you. So, see this as another opportunity God gave you. Just stay faithful and believe like a little child that He will be with you wherever you go!

[Mara]

For the sake of your children, I would definitely move to Australia. Regardless of how far it will take you out of your comfort zone, there is a future for your sons in Australia. Can you say the same for Zimbabwe? Grab, with both hands, the opportunity you have been given to make the move.

[Joeemm]

Hi there

I have to echo Mara's sentiment, for me living in Africa is just not an option. I moved from ZA before my son was born because we could not see a future for ourselves in Africa. If God had blessed us with a child before we came, my decision would have been even more valid. Your children deserve a future free or all the abnormal (often terrifying) aspects that living in an African country brings.

Is Oz perfect, no, but it's an entire universe away from Africa in terms of lifestyle, safety, security, education, medical care etc. etc, and most of all your children will be able to have happy, relatively carefree childhoods and then have the opportunity to really shoot for what ever they want to do with their lives. In a recent post I think I saw Australia was listed as the second best place to be born in 2013!

From Perth I can see no reason not to move from Africa to Australia. You can always visit later (earning a real currency really helps ;-) )

All the best

Joe

[TonyV]

Between my brother in-law and I we've had the conversation a few times too.
Clearly there is a lot of valid work for us to do in SA/Africa. God can really use us here.

I almost felt that I would be abandoning a country and continent I really love. Will God

approve? Am I just being selfish? These thoughts have been with me for a long time.

I'm not so sure if I would say that God wouldn't have given us the opportunity

if he didn't want us to go to Oz... that seems a little too easy. God gives us choices

after all.

Against everything that was is so wrong in SA, our church and the boys' school are

the best thing we had here.

Today was the last day of the school term... very sad. So many 'lasts' to attend.

[Zim]

I operate on the green light principle - Lord if it's Your will make the lights green for whatever needs to come and I keep going until I get a red light.

Thanks Liz, so far green lights! Yeehaa! Now, please Lord just send a buyer for our house! :-)

[sianvz]

After a wonderful weekend in the vineyard on the Breede River with my husband's boss and some clients, he is struggling a lot with the fact that he is keeping his employer in the dark about our plans and his employer is non the wiser that he will be gone in a few months despite plans for a new winery being built and them thinking my husband will be there for many years to come. Also with the fact that now that we're starting to tell friends of our plans who had no clue before, he is starting to feel sad at the idea of having to say goodbye and leave behind people we really enjoy having around and also some aspects of our life here that we will miss. My husband is an extremely sensitive person whereas I am often more head than heart and can smack myself across the face and tell myself to catch a wake up and be realistic.

Anyway, I tried to explain to my husband that our future is far more important to us than his boss's company and that things change and he shouldn't feel guilty about leaving the company because of all the big plans they have that include him. He's struggling most with keeping quiet about our emigration until we have a better idea of a time frame, because in the wine industry you have no reason to keep a winemaker on if he doesn't plan to be there long-term, so that could very possibly choose to replace him sooner rather than later, not to mention the awkwardness that will exist once his boss knows. He doesn't doubt our decision to go, he just is starting to slowly realise the monumental effect it has on everyone.

So I told my husband he needs to try his best to harden up a bit and start preparing himself for leaving, and just remember all the times we've discussed how badly we want to go and all our reasons for wanting to go, and all our friends on the other side and my brother, waiting for us to arrive. This whole process comes with all its doubts and questions about whether it is in fact God's plan or just our plan. We felt that all the doors opening in the last few months have been God's plan coming into action.

This morning I got this word of the day, which gave us our perfect answer to help us deal with our feelings in these last few months before we leave:

Deuteronomy 11:24
'Every place on which the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours!'

- God has got territory that you need to possess.

- What is stopping you from moving into what He has for you?
- Don't be distracted or put-off.
- Press forward and possess what He has prepared for you.

PRAYER: Lord, help me to step forward with boldness and confidence in those things You have pre-prepared for me. I reject passivity and fear and I step forward with confidence. Amen.

AMAZING! God is good

[HadEnoughofJuju]

@sianvz

I feel for your husband. I am the one that wanted to leave South Africa the most in our relationship and I would have done it 15 years ago if I could have. When it came to the crunch I was (and still am) very emotional about the move and battled with the whole leaving people behind. In my head I know this is the best thing we could have done for our little family. Do not feel guilty about leaving people behind especially your bosses. As hard as this may seem they are not going to miss you and they will replace you faster than you told them about your plans.

When we left I realised that the only friends we had left were the ones that had already moved to Australia and the ones that have also decided to make the move who are currently in the process, most of our good friends withdrew from the friendships and "wrote us off". It is awful and is not something I would wish on anyone but unfortunately it happens. Focus on your new lives here and all the benefits you will have once you arrive. Australians are extremely friendly and welcoming people and go out of their way to give you service and be kind to you. They have respect for those around them and consider everyone they come across. Yes there are the not so nice ones but they are few and far between.

Tell your hubby he is in our thoughts and if there is anything he wants to chat about or wants to know he is welcome to PM me. Good luck with breaking the news to those who don't know yet.

[sianvz]

Thanks HEOJJ!

So far most of our friends are very supportive. Excited for us as we get closer to the finish line because they know it's something we've wanted since we returned from Oz in 2011.

It's the good ones that are happy because you're happy. Many say they're sad but also happy because they know it's what we want. So we're very fortunate.

I will let him know, thanks. I think he's just battling more with having to keep his mouth shut, he's not good at being dishonest. But what I have told him, is to change his mindset and continue on every day at work as if we're not going anywhere. Until we have that visa in our hands, anything can go wrong, so when we get it, he can just tell his boss sorry we couldn't tell him sooner but we only got the visa now.

[LizM]

I understand how your hubby is feeling - I'm also feeling guilty not telling my bosses of our plans. It's a little different with us because they know Im Australian, so I'm sure that it wouldn't come as a total shock to them, but I still feel a bit bad because they have been/are delightful.