I think that learning to listen to God is hard. I think that
so many times we pray for things and don’t listen for the answer. How do we
really know if we are doing what God wants for our lives? How do we know if we
are living all for God? I don’t know if I necessarily have the correct answers
for these questions, but I do know that I am listening to God, and truly
praying through things before doing my own thing. How do I know that I am doing
this? Because God is showing up in my life all the time.
Kurt and I have had a lot of transition in our lives since
last July. We have always worked through these transitions and relied on God
through them. The first transition was when he got laid off last year and he
found a job relatively quickly. The transition was that it was an overnight
position. I think when he first started we were so grateful for a job so
quickly that we went with it. We also knew that Kurt’s dream was to go to
seminary for counseling. This was a time where we looked into that dream to
make it a reality for him. We decided that we would have him work overnights so
that he could start school spring semester and work full time still. Spring
semester came and we had another transition, not only was I alone while Kurt
was at work all night, but he had homework, all the time. In the midst of this
transition Kurt and I led a trip to India. God was teaching me so much during
this time. I learned that God had called not only Kurt to seminary, but it was
both of us, that I have a part in Kurt’s dream too. At the end of spring
semester Kurt and I sat down and had a conversation about this full time work
thing with school. We both agreed it was too much. We began to pray about what
to do. We live off of both our incomes and how would we make it if Kurt wasn’t
working full time. As we were praying through this I just remember hearing all
of these different examples about faith from people. Also at this time my car
broke down. My warranty had just expired a couple months prior. I took my car
in and dreaded the call from the mechanic of how much money it was going to
cost. The call came and the mechanic said that it was my Catalytic converter
and it would be about $1300. I sat there silently trying to think through how
we would pay for it, after a pause the mechanic went on and said he did have
some good news for me. He said even though your extended warranty is up you
have a factory warranty that covers the whole thing. What? How does a factory
warranty last longer than an extended warranty? I couldn’t believe it. Even
though for some people this is explainable and makes sense, for me it was a God
thing, and I believe it was God showing us that He will take care of us. So we
took the step of faith and decided Kurt would work part time and go to school.
Kurt applied for a few part time positions at other companies and never heard
anything. Then he went into the HR office at his job and told them the
situation. They moved him to float staff, and the best thing is Kurt decides
what shifts he picks up! So if he has a really busy week at school, he just won’t
pick any shifts up that week. How great is that? So then at the beginning of
July came the next transition, Kurt working part time and doing school.
There are many stories where God has shown his faithfulness
to Kurt and I and I could write pages upon pages about it. But there is one
thing I wanted to share about listening to God and having faith He will be
faithful to us. I was at a Hillsong concert a few months ago and realized that
God doesn’t just speak to me through verses or situations. There is this song
that has resonated with me this whole summer and continues to be a big part of
my life in each situation I encounter. It is called Oceans, by Hillsong United.
The words of the song are so powerful.
You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
I will call upon Your Name
Keep my eyes above the waves
My soul will rest in Your embrace
I am Yours and You are mine
Think of how great that place would be if we lived with a
trust that had no borders, if we asked God to take us deeper than we would ever
go on our own. A little scary, but so worth it! We learn to rest in God no
matter what life may bring. That He has never failed us and He won’t start now.
In life we face a lot of challenges, a
lot of transition, but we also have a faithful and loving God who has big plans
for each one of us. To reach these big plans we have to trust that God will
take us deeper then we could ever go on our own. I know that I don’t blog as
much as I would like but I did want to take some time and share these powerful
lyrics. Look for God in everything and you will learn to listen to what He has
for you.
