A friend of mine asked the question "Would we still trust even if the Red Sea didn't part" in regard to our desire to see miracles happen, often missing the miracle that is normalcy.
great question, huh?
Several posts have inspired this pondering today. I won't go into it, but it has caused me to think back on a time when the "Red Sea" didn't part and I, in response, questioned the goodness of our amazing Father God.
We had just come off of a year of redemption in many ways. The city we had loved and left was given back to us. We loved being back in Boston. We returned with two small children after four years of being barren. The job Gavin loved and found favor in was given back to him in the form of a new company and new responsibilities. We bought the cutest 4 bedroom home in Cambridge, MA and attended worship at Cambridge Vineyard, experiencing worship in its fullness as we never had before.... or have experienced since. Friendships left behind were restored and new friendships were made that continue to shape and influence our lives today.
...it wasn't the easiest of years but it felt good. It felt very Job-ish. :)
To our surprise that Job season was much shorter than we had anticipated.
We were being called elsewhere. ....we were very clearly being called outside of our comfort zone. The calling was to move to Fort Thomas, KY to help start a community-based church with Vineyard affiliation, and with friends we had known during our previous time in Boston (Marblehead, to be specific). After months of trying to figure out how to make this work, sale our home, and jokingly try to convince Father and the team that we should really be doing this in New England...preferably Cambridge :) ....we said yes and made preparations to move.
Our home didn't sell. Gavin left his job and began his own business consulting company. We had two littles at the time. Boy, was this going to be an adventure! We knew the Lord would provide. He had made it very clear that He was asking us to do this now, without the house selling. We left Job behind and now were stepping into Abraham's shoes...
This story is already way too long, but to sum it up quickly. There were months when we didn't have the rent on time for the ugly 2 bedroom apartment ...that was decorated back in the 70s ...and never updated. There were months when we couldn't pay our mortgage on our Cambridge home. Our home went into foreclosure, our credit was ruined, and I wondered why in the world the Lord would have called us out to this place and not provide for our needs!!! I was more than a little jaded. I was pretty much pissed off.
We had been obedient! Now everything was supposed to be smooth sailing! We were careful with our money, very open-handed with all we had and loved to share what we were given. We were doing everything the way we were supposed to...! (I still get a knot in my stomach when I remember how dumbfounded I was in that confusion. ....still trying to figure out if He really was ...good.)
....the reality was far from smooth. The "Red Sea" didn't part.
....at least not the "Red Sea" I was looking at...
I've become a child always on the look-out for Redemption!
My sweet Father has conditioned me this way,
and He loves to surprise me!
Had we sold our home in Cambridge, we would have bought a home in KY, but that was not Father's plan. He knew that our time in KY was important, but also short. After a year and a half, Gavin felt led to accept a position in D.C. - totally out of left field for me. I was sure it was a mistake!
...it wasn't a mistake at all. It was exactly what our family needed and where we were called to be.
Had we sold our home in Cambridge, we would have bought a home in VA, but that was not Father's plan, either. He had a house prepared for us to rent ...way bigger than anything we would have ever considered, with a plan ...way bigger than anything we would have ever dreamed. (...saved for another post)
About a year after moving to VA, I was enlightened with this truth:
good credit is not a Need.
I was still processing the previous two years and the reality of our Cambridge home being in foreclosure again, when He opened my eyes to His provision.
The truth is, we never went hungry.
We had way more clothes than we needed.
We never lost our home in Cambridge.
The rent may have been late, but was always paid.
Every single need .....n.e.e.d..... was provided.
As soon as I realized this was true ...my credit score has no value in my Father's world - good or bad
...I was free! ....the sound of chains falling to the ground.
The "Red Sea" parted for me and I saw how good ....really good... is my Dad.
He is good. He is a good Father. He always provides what we need
...and so often abundantly more than what we need.
(Our home in Cambridge sold shortly after that revelation......... He's got a great sense of humor:))
I must say:
We learned so many invaluable lessons during that Abrahamic season in KY that I wouldn't trade for the best credit score attainable. I'm abundantly thankful for our time there. We are blessed with deep friendships that have changed our lives and continue to bless us beyond words. The community there is still thriving and we regularly visit, as well as, host many from that beloved community in our home.
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