So many times I hear folks question their own intentions- is God calling them, or are they forcing His hand?  I think we all struggle with this at different points on our journey.  How are we to decipher when we are following God’s will or pulling Him along beside us asking Him to shine light along the path we have chosen?

On this particular journey, I know God has gone before us and prepared the way-however, I stand with wobbly knees as He gently nudges me forward…inch by inch.  So the question here is not whether I have pre-empted the Lord, but am I strong enough to fully rely on Him?

Thankfully, my God is a God of mercy.  He knows my weak spirit and my faint heart.  He sends encouragement and blessings from unexpected sources to lift our wings.  Gentle nudges.  Letting me know He is present.  That He is in this.

Today we received a phone call from Dave’s boss.  A work call on a Saturday?  Not exactly. It was actually a call asking if Dave would be interested in a new company car come Monday.  Not just any car…not the typical 4 door sedan, but instead an 8 seat Acadia that would accommodate our entire family.   To fully appreciate this man’s generosity, you need to understand that our family vehicle is a ’98 sport sized Montana… with 7 cramped seats.  As a family of 8, we would need to take 2 vehicles any time we wanted to travel together.  This meant no trips to see family without major orchestration beforehand.  We trusted that the Lord would provide the means to make this small obstacle surmountable in whatever way He chose- whenever He chose to do it.  Today, He did just that in a most unexpected way.  He moved in another man’s heart to support us in this ministry.  He knows our situation and that a new vehicle just can’t be our priority right now.  He knows that this car will be our main mode of transportation- much outside of Dave’s work travel schedule.  He is gifting us in this most incredible way and providing for a need that we couldn’t seem to fill with our own resources for quite some time.  His heart and the job he provides for Dave are huge blessings to our family.  Isn’t that amazing?  That this man- a follower of Christ, would feel compelled to provide for us in such an incredible way?  Today, I again feel wrapped in the security of God’s love and mercy.  Even though I continue to question and fall, He carries me.  He reveals Himself in unexpected corners of our lives.  I look in one direction for possible solutions- and He surprises me from the opposite side.  He is a mighty God able to move mountains- whether they are the small hills in my life or the larger ones outside of my window.

Dave ran across something recently that sums up what we have been feeling and I have ever so humbly been trying to communicate:

“Our Job is to Obey” by Charles Swindoll

‘”As you walk in the path of trust you will experience situations that simply defy explanation.  When you look back, after the fact, you could never have figured out a better plan.  At the time it seemed strange, mysterious…even illogical.  Let me assure you, that’s God working.  Things will happen that seem to be totally contradictory, but these are God’s arrangements.  It was a wonderful day when I finally realized I don’t have to explain or defend the will of God.   My job is simply to obey it.

It is a waste of time trying to unscrew the inscrutable workings of God.  You’ll never be able to do it.  That’s simply the way God works.  He honors faith and obedience.  He will honor your faith if you will trust Him in a walk of obedience.  And when you trust Him completely, you will enjoy inner quietness and security.  You will have a secure confidence that you are walking in His will.  You will be surrounded by His peace.”

“Let all who take refuge in You be glad, let them ever sing for joy.”  Psalm 5:11