But God (Part II)…….Faith Journey

“…..You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…” Genesis 50:20

In my previous post, I shared about the fire that destroyed our home.  The fire left my family homeless. Now what? My husband and I had many questions but no answers.  Our primary concern was getting a roof over our heads. We couldn’t afford to stay in a hotel for an extended period.  Our insurance only covered structure and not contents so we were out of luck….. But God in His infinite mercy and grace was already ahead of us.  He provided for us beyond our wildest imaginations through the Red Cross and an army of brothers and sisters in Christ.  The love we received in the form of food, gift cards, visits, encouragement and prayers was overwhelming.  These folks were the hands and feet of Jesus to my family.

While in the hotel, I was concerned that we could not afford to stay there for a long period. Miraculously, an anonymous person from church offered to pay for the hotel. Just before we moved out of the hotel, a friend offered us her home for two weeks while she was on vacation. Silently, I thanked the Lord for this provision but wondered what would happen at the end of two weeks.

I felt the Lord was leading my family on a faith journey through this disaster. He was asking us to trust Him and walk by faith. 

A few days before the end of the two weeks, I received an email titled, “How may I serve you?” I did not immediately recognize the sender so I did not respond right away.  I was so preoccupied with daily caring for my family that I actually forgot about the email.   On Sunday afternoon I felt prompted to read the email again.  I noticed the sender’s company and address at the bottom.  When I googled the company, there was a picture of the person who sent the email.  I recognized him. He and his family used to attend our church.   I emailed him immediately and shared that our greatest need was finding short-term housing.

Later that night, he responded that he had a vacant and unfurnished rental property.  He offered it to my family and welcomed us to stay there for free while our home was rebuilt. I read that email with tears streaming down my face and my lips offering thanks to the Lord, who had not only provided a roof over our heads but a home for us at no cost.

We clearly did not deserve such mercy and goodness, yet our Lord, chose to pour His Love on us.

It has been almost 3 months since the fire.  The Lord continues to meet our needs in miraculous ways.  The biggest lesson I have learned through this disaster is to pay attention to my response. Will I choose to glorify Him in my response to trials or will I grumble at the unfairness of the situation? It is a daily choice to surrender my will and desire to move the process along quicker.

Our home is not rebuilt yet but our trust in the Lord is ever-growing. In His time, God makes all things beautiful.

How do you respond to major challenges in your life?  Do you worry or trust the Lord?

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3