Yay!  We have a rental house!

We, along with many lovely supporters, have been praying earnestly for a home in our church plant town, but as I mentioned before, they are hard to come by.

This has definitely been a test of patience.  Though we have always had a roof over our heads (for which I am very grateful!),  I enjoy having a space of my own, to add my personal touch. We have put our ‘welcome mat’ out wherever we’ve been, but it will be nice to open our own home, without reservation, to others.  We look forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for us in our new digs!

We often wonder why our path has had so many twists, but as I’ve expressed elsewhere (here, here, and here), we see His hand at work in our hearts and preparing us for His work.  Sometimes, it’s as much about the journey as the destination.  In this case, we have learned to trust Him in a way that is so much deeper than before.  We’ve learned to pray in a whole new way.  We’ve learned to live in a manner that is quite foreign to us.  Our children have also learned these lessons, and many others, along with us.  Some things bear repeating, so I will reiterate how each step was necessary to bring us to the right place.  Physically:  we can now see, in hindsight, that many stops along the way were critical junctures for us.  Had they not been stops along the path, we may have ended up somewhere else entirely. Important connections were made at these points, as well.  Spiritually:  we needed to be in that place of unguarded surrender that is oh so crucial. Emotionally:  let’s face it…it’s not easy being away from those you love and all that is familiar.  I am a big, sentimental baby.

I just finished the story of Moses and the journey of the Israelites through the Wilderness in my personal daily reading. (I’m currently working on the Olive Tree chronological reading plan.)  Like Moses and the Israelites, we wandered for a long time.  We never went without; our ‘shoes never wore out and our bellies never lacked nourishment.’ (Nehemiah 9:21)  By faith we stepped into the Red Sea, as He led us in a seemingly impossible direction.  He made a way for us, over many months, leading us with His very Presence.  Like the Israelites, we faced discouragement and cried out to Him, wondering why the way was not clear; why we left the comfort of home for a prolonged time of uncertainty. We also refused to obey at times, and were not mindful of His working. Our hearts were sometimes hard and rebellious. But God, was ‘ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, and did not forsake’ us. (Nehemiah 9:17)  He continually reminded me that He sees my struggles, He ‘knows my wanderings and puts my tears into His bottle. They are in His book.’ (Psalm 56:8…this has become a favourite verse)  He blessed us beyond measure.  He “enlarged my path under me; So my feet did not slip.” (2 Samuel 22:37) He showed me how to have fullness of joy in Him…how to trust Him through the tough stuff.

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. ~Psalm 16:11

I came across this quote by David Jeremiah a while ago. “Our pathways often twist through stormy landscapes; but when we look back, we’ll see a thousand miles of miracles and answered prayers.”  Even mid-journey I can say, “Thank you, Lord.  You are good.  You hear my cry.”