By Lori Peckham
“Time for supper!” Mom called.
Lily washed her hands and joined her family at the table. “Yum, lasagna.”
Lily’s older brother, Logan, sat in his usual seat across from her.
The family folded their hands and closed their eyes as Dad said the blessing. Then he glanced from Logan to Lily. “Mom and I have an announcement.”
Logan put down his fork. “This sounds serious.”
“It is serious,” Dad said. “But I think it’s good. Mom got a job offer, and since I can work from anywhere, we decided to take it.”
Logan scowled. “Does this mean we have to move?”
“Yes, to California.” Mom smiled.
“Where’s California?” Lily asked between bites of lasagna.
“Well, we live on the East Coast of the United States, and California is on the West Coast,” Dad said.
“It’s far, Lily!” Logan slammed his fist on the table. “I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t want to go either.” Lily’s last bite of lasagna seemed to sit in the back of her throat like a big lump.
“I’m staying here! I’ll ask Alex whether I can live with him.” Logan picked up his plate and stomped to the sink.
“Now, hold on,” Dad said. “Our family’s been praying to be near a church school that goes through grade 12. There’s one very close to Mom’s new job. She and I think this is an answer to prayer.”
“Not for me!” Logan dashed out of the room.
“Not for me either,” Lily said, her chin quivering. She didn’t want to cry, but she couldn’t stop the tears from falling down her face.
At bedtime Mom came into Lily’s room to say goodnight and pray with her.
Lily asked, “Mom, do you really think God wants us to move?”
“I can’t be sure,” Mom answered. “But the new town has everything we’ve been praying for. I can be sure of one thing, though: God will be with us. He’s promised to be with us wherever we go.”
Over the next few weeks, the family packed up their belongings. They had to move during Christmas vacation. After the holidays, Lily and Logan would go to a new school. In the middle of the school year, they would have to join classes where they knew nobody.
The last items Lily packed were her stuffed animals. She lined them up in a sturdy box and taped it closed. “Have a good trip to California,” she whispered as she placed the box in the big moving truck.
Willow, Lily’s friend across the street, came over and watched the truck pull away. Before Lily got in the car with her family, the girls hugged.
Tears flowed down Lily’s cheeks as she said goodbye. “I’ll miss you so much!” she said. Lily watched her friend and her house disappear out the back window. How could she leave everything behind? But she knew she had to trust her family and God.
Logan sat in the back seat pouting. “I wish I could have stayed with Alex!” he said.
“Why didn’t you?” Lily asked.
“His mom said I’d better go with my parents.” Logan folded his arms across his chest.
“His mom was right,” Dad said, following the moving truck down the highway. “I’m looking forward to seeing how God blesses us—including you kids.”
When they finally reached California, the family stayed in a small apartment while they looked for a house. Lily and Logan had to share a room, and they didn’t get to unpack their belongings. It just didn’t feel like home.
On the first Sabbath in California, Lily wondered, Whom will I sit with during Sabbath School? I don’t have any friends here. She felt like hiding in the bathroom, but she worked up the courage to go to Primary class. A boy next to her shared his songbook, and a girl showed her where the glue was during craft time.
After church Mom and Dad told her they were invited to a family’s house for lunch. Logan decided to go with the Pathfinders on a picnic. Lily went with her parents and was happy to discover the family had a daughter named Mila.
After lunch Mila asked Lily, “Would you like to play with my stuffed animals?”
Lily’s heart raced with excitement. “Oh, yes!” she said. “I really miss mine. They’re still packed in a box.”
Lily followed Mila to her room. Colorful animals lined a bookshelf.
“Oh, you have the peacock!” Lily exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted that one. The closest I have is a flamingo.”
“I’ve always wanted the flamingo!” Mila said. “Could you bring it sometime?”
“Sure.” Lily picked up a squishy elephant.
“Help me move the animals out to the family room. It’s bigger, and my mom said we can play there,” Mila said.
They carried all the plushies to the family room. Mila used books to divide the space into a zoo, a jungle, and a farm. Then she brought bowls and made pretend food dishes.
Just when everything was ready for them to play, Lily’s mom called, “Time to go home!”
Lily frowned. “So soon?”
“Can Lily come back tomorrow?” Mila asked both mothers. “We just got our play area set up.”
The mothers looked at each other and smiled. “Sure,” they both answered.
On the way home Lily could not stop talking about her new friend. Mila also went to her new school. They had discovered they would be in the same classroom. When school started on Monday, Lily would have a friend already.
That night at evening prayer, Lily thanked God for her new friend. Then she turned to Logan. “I’m glad you moved with us and didn’t stay behind with Alex.”
Logan punched his pillow. “Really?”
“Yes,” Lily said. “And I think Mom was right that God goes with us everywhere.”
“I wish things could have stayed the same,” Logan said. “But maybe it will be okay.”
Lily stroked the stuffed peacock Mila let her borrow. “Maybe even better than okay.”
