Leaving the Bronx

Tomorrow morning I will be moving my ninety-two year old aunt, Catherine, out of the Bronx.  She will be moving to beautiful Ocean Grove, NJ where she will move into an assisted living facility.  In fact, her room has an ocean view!  It’s going to be quite a life change for her, hopefully for the better. 

My Aunt Catherine, has lived in the Bronx just about all of her life and in her current apartment for the past forty-one years.  The area in which she has lived is a busy and loud area with an elevated train that runs over Jerome Ave just about a block away from her apartment.  The neighborhood is very lively with lots of shops along Jerome Avenue, most which are now either Spanish or Arabic owned. Montefiore Hospital is on the backside of the neighborhood and Mosholu Parkway is around the corner.  The streets can seem congested and dirty. Parking is hard to find. People seem to bumping into each other whichever way you turn. 

Surely, it’s going to be quite a change for Aunt Catherine to move away from all of that after all of these years.  I wonder what it’s going to be like for her not to hear the train go by every few minutes. I wonder whether or not she is going to miss the noises, smells, and crowds. I wonder whether or not she is going to enjoy having an ocean view in a cleaner and calmer environment.  Or, will it be a bit of a shock to her system? After all, the Bronx is all she’s known for just about all her life.  It’s what she has lived with. It’s what she is used to.  I’m guessing, in spite of going to a beautiful environment, leaving the Bronx is not going to be easy.

Yet, Aunt Catherine will tell you herself that she senses God’s hand in the midst of this move.  Thus, she has peace about it.  I know she prays and brings everything to God.  In fact, so many times during the decision-making process she has said, “If it’s the Lord’s will, this will work out” or, “It seems like the Lord is putting everything together” or “I feel like the Lord is helping make the way clear.”  It’s true, at ninety-two making such a move is not easy.  But, knowing that God is in it and that God is present, is making leaving the Bronx a little bit easier for Aunt Catherine. 

And, such can be the case for each of us as we go through the various stages of life and all the challenges they bring. It will be the presence and leading of God that will help us and give us peace.  If we will bring all things to God and trust him to take care of us, we will find the strength and grace needed to face whatever changes may come our way.     

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 – NIV)

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris