Thursday, July 23, 2009

The Fingerprints of God


From last Friday till noon today we thought we were going to be homeless. That changed when we got news that we were approved to rent the house we applied for on Monday. I have never faced this situation before and found myself struggling with many emotions.

I learned years ago that the mood of my home is set by me. Everyone responds to mom's moods, so I bore it as calm as I could and as brave as I could. I realized my future was not mine for the making, but Papa God's. So I prayed and waited.

Have you ever thought about the possibility of being homeless? It's scary. I pondered about the dangers and discomforts to not having a place to live. A question I also asked myself was, would Papa God be willing to let us be homeless, and I believe He would; especially if it served a higher purpose. It seems that was not His plan at this time.

Of course I am grateful. I am not beyond having to struggle with those feelings, that anyone naturally would struggle with. Feelings of embarrassment, fear and oh yes, my pride. Oh, I know how that word makes you cringe, it does me too, but we all struggle with it. Our pride is an emotion the devil preys upon and we need to safeguard our hearts and minds, keeping that in check or it could get us into a whole lot of trouble. 

I have recently realized that I would have been willing to submit even in that area of my life to Him, if that's what Papa God asked of me. Not that I would have had a choice if He decreed it; but my heart was willing to trust Him.

It really was a miracle that we got this place. With Eric being unemployed, my hours cut to 4 hrs a week at OSH, we barely qualified. It was the kids and their incomes that helped us do it. They all are part of the lease agreement and that astounds me. Phen and Kyle just got their jobs within the last 2 weeks. WOW, talk about timing!

Yesterday I made a trip to the rental agency by chance. On a whim, I decided to deliver our paperwork instead of faxing it. Sue, owner of the Property Management Company told me later, that that was perfect timing. The owner of the property was there and we got to meet. It was meeting me that swayed his decision to rent the house to us. Papa God really worked it.

As I look around, I see Papa’s fingerprints on everything. He has been orchestrating this change in our lives for several years now. It’s remarkable to watch how He has done a work, which has changed our hearts. When I look into my heart and see a different person forming, I am grateful, utterly grateful! 

As I watch this chapter in our lives unfolding, I am learning to recognize the tender touch and direction of Papa. He really is wonderful. He is our protector. He is our Provider and He loves us. Our views of what we think our lives should be and how He should orchestrate them are skewed. If God permits Jonah to sit in the belly of a whale for 3 days to turn his thoughts towards Him, would Papa God be any less willing to take that same measure with us when necessary?

Something to think about..


1 comments:

Sofia said...

Well Veronica, the Lord does work at his own pace. I am so grateful that you did not become homeless - it speaks volumes about your faith in him. Keep striving to move forward and leave the past behind. The future is our hope and destiny and he gives us strength to endure the journey.

Blessings

sofiahogan.com