Our Checklist vs. HIS Plan (Part 1)

In November 2015, we moved out of our home.  The reason? To sell it, pay off debt so we would have the freedom to go or stay as He led.  

Sounds very responsible, doesn’t it?

We thought so, too, until the house didn’t sell-2015, 2016, 2017.  Had we misheard Him? Disobeyed? Why was He keeping our house from selling?

Labor Day Weekend 2017:  I was gifted a trip to attend the wedding of one of my youth group kids.  I went alone leading to extra time to dig into the Word and soak up His presence that Sunday morning.  He led me to Psalm 92-and these verses jumped off the page.

12 But the godly shall flourish like palm trees and grow tall as the cedars of Lebanon. 13 For they are transplanted into the Lord’s own garden and are under his personal care. 14 Even in old age they will still produce fruit and be vital and green. 15 This honors the Lord and exhibits his faithful care. He is my shelter. There is nothing but goodness in him! (NLT)

Personally, I had really been struggling with how God was wanting me to serve and bring Him glory.  I knew I wanted to still be fruitful, be vital, and green.

Then, at church, I was free to simply listen-no responsibilities, no kids to wrangle, no door to monitor-just listen.  The pastor’s challenge? To let it go (yes, cue the Frozen song-we all giggled)  What was I holding back on?  Was there something I was leaning on more than Christ? (yes, OUR LIST!) Was I making the God of miracles into a logic-following person I could understand and control?  

In my wildly-beating heart, I heard ‘whose checklist is to be obeyed?  Yours-to sell the house, pay bills, and THEN see what I have for you? Or MINE-to simply trust and obey Me-regardless.’

I knew He was serious.  This was a watershed moment.  Talking to Michael Joe, we prayed and understood He was pushing us beyond where we could control.  He was asking us to trust and to act on that trust.

We chose to obey.

With the house still on the market and yet another buyer who backed out, we stepped out and filled out applications (took five hours each!)  to an organization with an online school. Checking the website later, I realized I did not get the job that had been posted.

So we prayed more.