How We Came Here

This family is a sign and a wonder. It may seem a random surprise that we suddenly live in Virginia, after being jobless and "broke" for so long (though God always took care of us. Checks in the mail, etc. THANK you to those of you who let God use you to that end!) I can hardly believe it myself.  Coast to coast. I am happy to be near the ocean, even if I don't see it that often. My name, in Greek, means "the sea." So--crazy faith adventure--here we are, a dream fulfilled. I speak to this season, that it will be a tree of life for us, and all we come into contact with. A desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Fulfill that word, Lord!

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain" (Psalm 127:1). It seemed sometimes over the past year as if Thomas were basking in the Lord too much, spending too much time praying and reading the Bible... People were telling him to get out there more, do a better job of getting a job. To try harder. And to get on welfare. I myself was even getting on that boat most days, the negative thoughts and words. They were speaking negativity over him. Speculating, and forgetting the way the Father sings over us with shouts of joy, how He deals with us. Through encouragement. Love hopes and believes all things, does it not? I repeated this over and over to myself in those months in California. Love believes all things. The people of North Coast Calvary Chapel was a huge breeze of life to us in that season. They were not repelled by our lack of work, our *many* children, our living situation, our needs. They were happy that we were glad to be there. They actively looked for work and housing with us. We could have spent a lifetime there.

One day, a few weeks before the deadline to move out of the housing in San Diego, I was lying in bed trying to nap, sinking into depths of emotion over our situation. I thought, "HOW is this going to work, Lord? I KNOW you are good, but I feel like maybe we have been unfaithful with our resources, and not applied wisdom principles to our life and finances, and maybe that's why this is not working out! Even if Thomas got a job today, we would NOT have enough money to pay for deposit/ first month's rent on an apartment, and we're going to be homeless! WHAT IS GOING ON??!!??" Suddenly, in my mind's eye, God gave me a vision of a person running through a paper wall. I understood at once what He was trying to tell me. That this seemingly insurmountable wall did not NEED to be surmounted. That it was only an illusion, and that though this situation seemed impossible from a human standpoint, it was nothing to God. We were to just RUN through it in faith. That gave me so much renewed courage!!! About two weeks after that, we got an email from the mother of a good friend from Santa Barbara. She owns an elder care facility in Virginia and was losing a couple of employees in July. She prefers to hire men and simply offered for Thomas to take a job with her! We had no idea how in the world we would afford to get there, but we both felt a resounding "YES," toward this!

The day after we decided to just go for it, despite not having the funds, said friends in Santa Barbara gave us a huge chunk of money toward that end, which covered the moving van and then some. AND our church in San Diego (North Coast Calvary Chapel) gave us the money for the airfare! It was simply astounding how God provided. The people who employed us worked so hard to get us settled, welcome us, make us feel at home. They give, they give, they give. They arranged it so the job would include room and board. This is above and beyond. This is so. Not. Normal. So we currently live here in the top floor of the elder care house; the lower floor is used for residents. There are three bedrooms downstairs and three residents, and another house and two more residents next door. Thomas works in both houses, taking care of the elderly residents and doing any other odd jobs they need him for. We will be the night managers of this home. I get to help with cooking, which I love! And  our children get to see the other end of life and have older generations around them. I think it is wonderful. We stand truly amazed!

God doesn't say, "try harder. You're going downhill! Do a better job! I'm worried about you!" God says, "Trust me. I love you. I am able. I want to give you all good things." He provided this job with no resume sent, no application filled out, and we got a place to live with no deposit or first months rent. Income can go toward paying off debts! You can't imagine how many times I thought over the past year, "how cool would it be if someone we knew who owned a business simply hired us?" I should have known. I should have contended for that, I should have been speaking that out the whole time! Instead, I was known to frequently cynically say, "You have to be the manager's nephew to get a job at McDonald's." ...HE was listening. I still. STILL! Have not grasped the discipline of directing my words toward positive things. Speaking truths, not cynicisms. ETERNAL truths, God's truths, what He wants to see realized, are ALWAYS good; there is always good truth to speak. Hope does not disappoint. AH, LORD! Come get in my face! Be in my face. All. Day. And may I live out of the spirit man. Nothing can shake this spirit man.