Walking by faith- The sweet life July 8, 2007

Well, I have been itching to write a blog now since I set up my account  a week or so ago but time passes so quickly when you have children!  I actually have written about 5 or 6 blogs in my mind about various topics…hmmm lets see if I can remember any of them…

Since our family joined The Patio it seems like constant spiritual highs after jumping out and racing after  what God is doing.  We have been earnestly searching and waiting on God’s timing for recent decisions.  After you go through a period of “silence” and “wait on me” times with the Lord the time of “Yes, Go, Now” is so much more sweet and  beautiful because you know you are a part of something much bigger than a simple decision.  You are tuned into God’s perfect plan and relying on Him to lay out the details of that plan.  I told a friend that I, in a very limited and small way, feel like Abraham when God said Go, and I will give you the details later.  I realized recently that this is what has happened to our family. God told us to “Go” after a long season of prayer and He made us excited about it, glad for it, ready and willing but we really had no details.  For a detail person this is HUGE!  God is so good though because I didn’t even  realize that I didn’t have any details!  It must of been because I was so excited that God was moving and answering our prayers, albeit, in His own way and timing.  Jeff and I want to be sure that the decisions we make are not our own but rather ones directed by the Lord.  After all, doesn’t Romans 14:23 tell us, “That which is not of faith is sin?”  I want our lives to stand out for God’s glory not our glory.    Walking by faith is a way of life for us.  I want my faith to permeate every aspect of who I am not just my spiritual life or spiritual decisions.

We have gone through many trials and tribulations and for that I am glad.  Truthfully, I rejoice (sometimes after the fact though) because it has molded, matured and strenghtened us in our faith walk and helped us to trust God in the very depths of our souls.  Sometimes, I have longed for the trial to be over or to be short or whatever but I have come to realize the trial will last as long as it needs to until I am refined.  When I stop whining about the pain and get serious about what God needs to do in me the trial doesn’t really matter any more.  The trials will never stop because it truthfully isn’t really about whatever has brought on the trial or conflict but rather what God wants out of me.  That would be, number one relationship with Him and two, my uttermost, complete trust in Him.

This has happened in many different circumstances through the years but early on in Seminary and our marriage God was teaching us trust in Him for our finances.  It seemed like we were constantly having one financial difficulty after another but He was just teaching us He was our provider, our Jehovah Jireh, and that He was faithful.  We have seen it over and over again.  Now when we have a financial difficulty the depths of my soul reply, “God is faithful” before it can reply “what in the world are we going to do?” . Recently, we had a similar struggle with no money for certain needs.  I prayed over the budget and said, “ OK, God I can’t wait to see how you take care of this one. ”  He is so creative and funny sometimes how He answers and it is never how I expect.  The coolest thing is to share this faith journey with the kids because they get such a kick out of seeing how God takes care of us.  We frequently have the cheer, WooHoo God! to give Him the glory when we see his everyday and then sometimes bigger than life provisions.   I know one thing for certain, when I am willing to wait on Him, trust He cares, and then give Him the glory for what He has done there is no sweeter life than that!