Faith Throughout Change
/“...but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.”
– Psalms 32.10b –
Our family just made a 600ish mile move after living in the same place for over 13 years! So many words can describe the experience – amazing, challenging, beautiful, hard, exciting, overwhelming, busy, thankful, & heart-bearing. For those of you who have moved, you probably have MANY more words to add to this list!
As I reflect over the past few months, I know that our good & kind God has orchestrated it all for His glory and my good. And without any hesitation, I can honestly say, He is good, & it is good.
What are some of these lessons?
I have seen...
The goodness of God. When we learned that we would have to certainly move, my heart was torn and felt hurt. Hurt not because of anything that anyone did, but hurt because I had to leave the people and places that were dear to my heart. As I hesitantly & carefully kept walking forward in God-given grace, He gave me grace & strength for each moment. God wants to bless His people with exactly what they need for godliness. Sometimes it can be hard, but it is ultimately good because of His goodness & heart behind it. On this side of the picture, I see that God is good and cares deeply about His people. He knows exactly what we need, and He can be trusted in a GREAT way!
The kindness of God. Oh, so kind. In this moving experience, there have been many ways in which situations could have been hard, but God in His kindness helped to ease the pain by providing in ways only HE can! For instance, the precious Core Team of our church plant blessed us with food, practical help, helpful texts, and goodies. And an Aldi’s gift card :) Not only in tangible ways, but kindness has been shown in words. Words of affirmation that we are right where we should be. Also, kindness in providing a beautiful neighborhood with lovely neighbors. Our family has been cared for, and I see it as such a testimony to God’s kindness towards His people.
The graciousness of God. As we embarked upon this beautiful journey of church planting, I had NO idea what the Lord was up to! Could we actually take on this enormous responsibility and job? Could we ever be “able” enough to lead & love people in the name of Christ? And my Savior reminded me, “Only by my grace, strength, & enabling.” Yes, I need my Savior every moment of every day. Of course, there are days where the weight of it all is overwhelming. But… as I learn to rest in Him, HE reminds me that it not about me, but ALL about Him. His grace is truly enough.
The trustworthiness of God. What is the definition of trust? To have confidence, be secure, be bold, & feel safe. The journey of God-given faith is delightful because it is a masterpiece of His design. Even when I didn’t see the end product (and still don’t), God says “This is the way, walk in it.” (Isaiah 30.21) I cannot trust in myself, but I can trust in the one WHO has led us. Trusting in God gives security, confidence, safety, and boldness. As I trust in His plan, I can rest & enjoy the moments knowing He has it all in His control. Even though I don’t know the future, I know who does. So grateful!
The love of God. For those who know our family, they would say we have always been one of the busiest families that they know. Yikes! Our marriage has been a journey of learning how to honor God with our schedule as a family. And now - we are in the Midwest. A place of slowing down, enjoying moments, & more open calendars. What an absolute gift for our family. We haven’t lived in the midwest for YEARS! I see the love of God written all over this for our family. In fact, as I shared this with a dear friend, she said how she had been praying specifically for this for our family. The Lord KNOWS how to protect His people. He knows what we need in order to live a healthy & thriving life. God knew. He knew what our family needed in order to have time as a family & personally take a chill. The love of God is deeper still beyond anything we can ever know ❤️.
Having these reminders is helpful for all of life! But how do these truths actually become realized as a reality in our own personal life?
As simple as they are, these are where we should anchor ourselves as we seek to know Christ daily.
– Immerse yourself in God’s Word.
– Pray, pray, pray. Pray that He may enable you to see where He is working & draw you closer to Himself.
– Surround yourself with Jesus-lovers who seek to know Biblical truth & truly live it out in grace, kindness, & humility.
If you have moved or are in the process of major change, may these truths remind you of the greatness of our God!
In His Grace – leigh anne
