WE GO: He Provides
On behalf of guest post writer and my dear young friend Miranda Mayer
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7
We are each His beautiful and unique vessel, called to pour out the light and love of Christ; therefore, WE GO….
At the beginning of 2018, I shared with my husband, David, that I felt like God was preparing us for a move. Suddenly, jobs and recruiters started contacting David more than they ever have in such a short period of time. We listened, we prayed, but did not have peace in anything that approached us. A few months later, when I was about 5 months pregnant, David was approached about another job opportunity…in the Chicago area. My immediate response was -NO WAY…but after many conversations and prayer, God said YES-GO! I remember crying one day at the overwhelming amount of peace that God had washed over us in this decision, because this Florida-raised girl does not like cold weather. God MUST have been up to something if I am confidently saying YES to Chicagoland!
On the outside, we looked totally crazy. Moving to a new city, far away from our home in Nashville, away from all of our friends, and further away from our parents, when I am in my third trimester of pregnancy. Because I was pregnant, we had to make this move fast. New city, new OBGYN, buying and renovating a new home, starting new jobs, and about to welcome our first baby into the world…talk about a lot of change all at once. Yet, we were totally overwhelmed with the peace of God. At one point, I was 8 months pregnant living in a hotel room for a whole month before we could move into our new home. Yet, totally at ease as I waddled around the hotel lobby with my laundry basket. It is amazing the peace that God can provide in moments that appear chaotic, when we are seeking Him and walking in obedience. God provided an incredible doctor. God provided me a dream job that I was not even looking for. God provided friends & community quickly. God provided a church- and let me add that our new pastor in Chicago is the BROTHER of our pastor from Nashville. Only God could orchestrate that.
There has been multiple times over my life where I felt the Lord tell me to physically GO. And every single time… He provides. Through these experiences, I have come to adopt Ephesians 3:20 as my “Life Verse”. It reads, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” It is so true. God has always provided abundantly more than I could have ever asked or imagined. His plan has always been far better than I would have written up myself. We may not know why He has us here, but His work will be done in us and through us as we follow His lead.
One of the beautiful things about moving is that everything is unfamiliar. Outside of my little family with me, the only familiar thing is God. We are SO much more aware when God moves, when everything else is unfamiliar. But eventually, we get comfortable, get in our routine, and we stop noticing. I often try to reflect back at this past year and remind myself of all the many ways the Lord provided in this transition. He doesn’t stop once we get settled in. He continuously provides and shows up over and over again- but are we still looking? I once had a woman say to me “Never Forget to Remember”. I feel like that is so important. If I am continuously remembering all the times the Lord provided and was faithful, I am much more confidently going to GO when he tells me to.
Further Reading: Ephesians 3:20, Luke 12: 22-34, Deuteronomy 5:33, Psalm 29:11, Genesis 12: 1-5, Exodus 40: 34-38
Lord, Thank you that you are our Provider. Thank you that you are our Peace. Thank you that you lead our way. You move and speak in our lives each and every day. We are sorry for the days that we get comfortable and stop noticing you. I pray we open our eyes. I pray that we live in thanksgiving and that we “Don’t Forget to Remember” all that you are and all that you do. In Jesus name, Amen.
