We are moving house tomorrow. It will be my 19th move (and the 5th house in 4 years).

  1. Tambaram, outside the Madras Christian College campus
  2. Tambaram, inside the Madras Christian College campus
  3. Eloor, Kerala
  4. Lake Terrace Extn in Calcutta (Ground floor)
  5. Lake Terrace Extn in Calcutta (Level 1)
  6. Cox Town, Bangalore
  7. Osborne Road, Bangalore
  8. Pottery Town, Bangalore [Change company here; got married]
  9. Nandanam, Chennai
  10. Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi
  11. Kalainagar I main street, Madurai
  12. Kalainagar II cross street, Madurai
  13. Galaxy Apts, Chennai
  14. Shanthi Colony, Chennai
  15. Te Atatu, Auckland
  16. Half Moon Bay, Auckland
  17. Bucklands Beach, Auckland
  18. Pakuranga, Auckland
  19. And now to Farm Cove, Auckland
  20. (More than a decade after this post, we move to Manurewa)

But this is nothing compared to the 40 plus moves made by the Israelites, to which my Bible reading today providentially focussed my attention (Numbers 33). Many a young person who left Egypt made it through all these moves.

Here is their rather tedious list.

  1. Set out from Rameses and camped at Succoth
  2. Camped at Etham, which is on the edge of the wilderness.
  3. Turned back to Pi-hahiroth and they camped before Migdol (Red Sea crossing)
  4. camped at Marah
  5. Camped at Elim (At Elim there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees)
  6. Camped by the Red Sea
  7. Camped in the wilderness of Sin
  8. Camped at Dophkah
  9. Camped at Alush
  10. Camped at Rephidim, where there was no water for the people to drink
  11. Camped in the wilderness of Sinai
  12. Camped at Kibroth-hattaavah
  13. Camped at Hazeroth
  14. Camped at Rithmah
  15. Camped at Rimmon-perez
  16. camped at Libnah
  17. Camped at Rissah
  18. Camped at Kehelathah
  19. Camped at Mount Shepher
  20. Camped at Haradah
  21. Camped at Makheloth
  22. Camped at Tahath
  23. Camped at Terah
  24. Camped at Mithkah
  25. Camped at Hashmonah
  26. Camped at Moseroth
  27. Camped at Bene-jaakan
  28. Camped at Hor-haggidgad
  29. Camped at Jotbathah
  30. Camped at Abronah
  31. Camped at Ezion-geber
  32. Camped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh)
  33. Camped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom (Death of Aaron on Mount Hor)
  34. Camped at Zalmonah
  35. Camped at Punon
  36. Camped at Oboth
  37. Camped at Iye-abarim
  38. Camped at Dibon-gad
  39. Camped at Almon-diblathaim
  40. Camped in the mountains of Abarim
  41. Camped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho

Like with them, we continue to be blessed with God’s bountiful provision, clear guidance, and all sufficient grace.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (ESV)
And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.