Boxes, Changes, and a Little Craziness

My husband got a new job. He interviewed for it earlier in the summer, but didn't find out about it until after the fourth of July. This left our family with about 26 days to pack everything up in Texas and move it two states away to middle Tennessee. If you have ever moved, you will know that 26 days is not much at all. There are accounts to change and cancel, set up and move, boxes to pack, things to get rid of so you don't have to pack them, and all sorts of other loose ends to tie up. Somehow, we pulled it off, mostly because of an amazing church family who pitched in to help as much as they could, babysitting, helping pack, and giving boxes and other things. This last Monday, we picked up the moving van (after hunting down where they had moved our pick up place to), loaded everything in the house onto it (or into the minivan) with more of our church family, cleaned the rent house, turned in the keys, and pulled out of the driveway for the last time. Tuesday, we drove across Arkansas, where the moving van broke down. My poor husband spent the night in Forrest City, Arkansas while I had the kids further down the road in Memphis with some friends. I came on to our new place while he stayed and got the truck fixed before heading east to join us. Thanks to my sister and brother-in-law, and some new friends who will be coworkers of my husband, everything got off the truck and mostly where it needed to be. My two-year-old went home with her cousin for a few days, which left me with only one clingy child to contend with while unpacking boxes and trying to get the rest of our things set up (tv/internet, bank accounts, insurance, etc). So far, except for getting caught in the rain a couple of times, getting lost once, and having to have the stove fixed, things are going well. The two-year-old comes home tomorrow, most of the boxes are unpacked, curtains hung and beds together, and the husband starts work Monday. I am sort of looking forward to things finding a pattern and routine so that we can take a breath and figure out our new normal. Our next big steps are finding a new church home and a library card. It's not really home without those.
As we went through all the chaos, several things went through my head. Mostly this, though: How could we have done any of this without a church family? I don't know how people function without one. God definitely knew what He was doing when he set up the pattern for a church, allowing people to have family even when family isn't close. I was sent away from Texas with several jars of homemade jam, a tin of homemade cookies, a loaf of homemade bread, an envelope of cash "to help with moving costs," and tons of hugs and well-wishes. Even though I may never see some of those sweet people on earth again, I know I will get huge hugs from them when we get to Heaven. I joked to my husband that I am going to already know so many people up there that I'll be the one doing introductions. Won't it be wonderful?