I used to believe that as long as God called me to do something, I could do it. I did not need help or blessing from man if I had God on my side. While it is true that the power of God and His will for my life far supersede any blessing I could receive from man, there is a reason He chooses to involve other people in my journey of preparation as I set out to fulfill the destiny He has set before me. He knows that I need people around me. There are those He has brought into my life as a source of support and there are those He desires to use to impart something into my life I would otherwise be lacking.
This gift of impartation is what I find myself seeking on this part of my journey. After God called me, I spent eight long years in the desert being prepared by the Spirit. Now, I have stepped into entirely unfamiliar territory. I thought that when the desert season came to a close, He would launch me into my ministry and I would hit the ground running. However, there seems to be another stop to make.
When we were preparing to leave Medicine Hat, we did everything we could think of to make the transition a smooth one. We have never moved our family out of the city before and we were already overwhelmed by the task. Knowing that we were going to a city with a higher cost of living, Shane and I decided I would go back to work. We both found good jobs and we thought that it would be no problem for us to find a place to live and move forward with our lives. God had a better idea.
The path we were on led us to move in with some friends. At the time, I was confused and discouraged. Why was this necessary? We were finally in a position where money was not going to be an issue. Why couldn’t we just find a home of our own and be on our way?
I got my answer within a week of moving. I was unable to find childcare for before and after school. No matter what we did to try and sort it out, it was not going to work. I had to decline my job. Now we are back down to one income and what Shane makes is just what we need to afford to live where we are right now.
Once again, I hit my knees. I was full of questions, but I knew that God had brought us this far. He was not going to leave this unfinished. There was purpose behind what appeared to be chaos.
Why couldn’t God make the details work so I could work? Why is ninety percent of what we own in storage? Why am I home when I could be working? The answer is one that I am still surprised by. Although I only see in part, I can see enough to know how amazing God’s plans have been from the beginning. How He has orchestrated every single detail from the moment He called us to leave Medicine Hat. Never, in all my years of following Him, have I seen His hand so obviously upon the course of my life.
He brought this all together so He could send us to receive. The next few months will have us traveling as we seek out the impartation He has for us so that we can come back here and pour out into our city and nation that which He has so generously poured into us. I do not know all the places we will be going yet. I do know this: if we had not experienced what seemed to be one disappointment after another, we would not be ready to go where He is preparing to send us. I welcome your prayers during this time as we are going somewhere in the Spirit we have never been before.
Join me as I set out on a modern day pilgrimage…
Fire Starter 