As you all know, we moved out here on the faith that this was what God wanted us to do. We prayed about it and really felt that this was where God wanted us for multiple reasons. Once we knew this was where we were going, we then prayed about when we should move out here and felt that God was telling us to leave in March. In the "wisdom" of the world, this did not make sense to do. I didn't have a job, Cory would have to quit his job and find a new one (and there was the possibility he would not get one), and we would still be paying rent on 2 places for a couple of months. Despite all of that, we could not escape the fact that this is what God wanted us to do...so we knew that it was what we had to do. It was scary to move out here with all of that going on, but it would have been even scarier to stay where it was easy instead of stepping out in faith to where God wants us. The easy thing to do would have been to stay in Gainesville until right before Cory started school, but I'm super glad that we didn't do that. (Not that I don't miss you all in Gainesville-please don't think that, because I truly miss you all a ton!!)
I will not lie and say that it has been super easy, especially when we literally had no idea how we were going to pay our next month's rent- let alone the other bills that are unfortunately piling up, food, gas, etc. But I will tell you this- it has been the biggest blessing and time of growth that I've had in a LONG time, if ever in my life. If we had listened to the "wisdom" of the world that said not to leave until we would be comfortable, we would not have been able to experience that and truly see what it means to trust God when you have nothing left. We also would have missed out on a ton of opportunities that we have had here, all for the sake of our comfort. Just being able to see God provide in those circumstances- above and beyond what we could have ever imagined- has been so amazingly awesome. I have a new outlook on verses such as these:
"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6: 25-34
I've seen and experienced the truth in these verses for myself now...and its so awesome.
Please don't think that I am saying to spend money carelessly because God will just provide or that I'm saying not to use the wisdom that God has given you when it comes to money (or everything for that matter), because I am definitely not saying that. What I AM saying is to use the wisdom that GOD gave you and not the wisdom of the WORLD. Its so easy to get caught up in the things/ideas of this world and think that its from God...especially when it comes to things that scare us (the new job, a big move, financial "insecurity", marriage, etc). We want to make sure that we are going to be "safe" and "comfortable" but what are those things to God? I don't think He ever once called us to live a safe or comfortable life- He asked us to live a life in obedience to Him-whether that means staying right where He has you now or making a 180 degree change in your life.
My biggest prayer is that Cory and I (and all of you) will never live a life that is comfortable. That we will never stay complacent where we are and be disobedient to God. That we will never choose the wisdom of this world over the wisdom from God. There are too many things at risk when we do this- way more than is at risk when we are obedient.
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Matthew 6: 28-30
(Note: I know that flower is not a lily but its as close as I could get :) Its from our trip to the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, more pictures from that will be on here another day!)
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