God Sightings in this Transition
I love that faith grows stronger and bolder by reviewing what God has already done. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy reading Bible history. One can read of faith in action —or the lack thereof— and learn from giants or wimps of the faith.
We’re seeing God at work at every turn in this latest transition. I’m going to list them for my benefit now, and a few months or couple years down the road when I re-read these paragraphs. Perhaps these observations will bolster your faith too.
Don’t let anyone tell you God’s not at work these days.
He’s alive and well, working in
working for
and working through His people!
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- I’ve been privileged to work alongside Dan Forness at Spring Creek Church in a ministry venue much like the one I led in Delafield and like the one I hope to develop in Gering. My demo video with SCC choir and orchestra demonstrated exactly what Gary is hoping we’ll one day see at Calvary Memorial. SCC is several times the size of CMC. The result: I’m prepared and confident for growth out West, even if it comes quickly. (Rapid growth isn’t one of my goals, but a possibility. I’m ready.)
- While frusting until we saw what He was doing, God cleared Calvary’s slate of candidates and withheld any serious responses from my 200+ resumes so that when we connected we were each the only one on each other’s radar screens.
- Pastor Gary and I exchanged several short emails the Monday after Mother’s Day. I didn’t know it at the time but he had an elder meeting that night and took print-outs of the things I’d sent him to that meeting. Talk about Divine timing! Once the board gave him the green light to procede things moved quickly.
- Gary and Rachel, Brenda and I went to the same school… er-um …a hundred years ago. We know and respect each other from way-back.
- The Defining Moments series I’m teaching in Joint Heirs (life-group at Spring Creek Church) is remarkably relevant in light of the changes we and others in the class are anticipating. When I agreed to teach Joint Heirs last year I didn’t know how long we’d be in SE Wisconsin. Teaching each week had me in good shape to teach/preach in Gering on our interview weekend.
- Interest in our home has been brisk, even though the market itself isn’t all that great. Thankful!
- We’re moving in a semi-trailer! Plenty of room for a change. Because the truck comes with a driver (an elder from Calvary) we’ll be able to get both cars out west easily.
- One of our maintenance concerns on the house was easily cared for, and at a fraction of the cost I imagined! Thanks for looking out for us, Lord!
- My temporary position as documentation coordinator can “ramp-out” soon before we leave so I have time to tend to last-minute things before our move.
- July 30 – at least as of today, the house we like best out West is still on the market! I’ve decided to be bold (Heb 10.19-24) and ask God to hold it for us. 😀
(more to come)
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August 1 – A family went through the house again, their second time, comparing our house with another almost like it in Waukesha. That evening they submitted an offer. A GOOD offer! Praise God!
August 2nd I sent a note to our realtor out West, wondering about timing on our favorite house of the ones we’ve seen online. “Would they even be ready for occupancy in September? Our truck should roll in on the 10th or 11th.” She answered that the house is now vacant, early closing would be great, early occupancy would be a possibility. SWEET! God you’re so good at details!
Friends from Calvary agreed to go through the house in person for us, with camera / video perhaps, to give us their impression. How blessed we are to have friends like this we can have confidence in!
Sunday pm we accepted with a couple counter details (a date and a set of curtains we’ll keep). I’m so thankful that we have definitive action in motion on this!
August 3rd – I had goosebumps as I drove this morning, thinking of all God is doing on our behalf! Confidence comes naturally when you know you’re where God wants you and moving in step with Him!
Phil
(stay tuned, there’ll be more) 😀 (probably soon)
While not quite as noteworthy as Gideon’s victory with only 300 guys and some creative God-breathed instructions, I do find it amazing that there are 5200 homes for sale in Waukesha county right now, yet God sold ours in just three weeks!
I said to our Joint Heirs class recently:
I had no control over who actually read my resumes this last year. But God did.
I had no control over who took an interest and said “Come help us out” even temporarily. I only had the ability to say “I will” when God presented the opportunity.
We’ve had no control over who saw the information about or the sign in front of our house once God said “I need you in Nebraska, you two.” We did our best, of course, but God directed people’s attention our way – or in another direction.
We’ve had no say in who took a liking to our house but are grateful that our first offer came from someone with a closing already pending on the house they’re selling, and pre-authorization from their lender.
God’s been at work – and it’s encouaging to see the truth of one of my favorite phrases:
Prayer is our first resource.
If you’ve not been living that way, I’d encourage you to establish a new norm. It’ll stretch you, count on it. But it’s also the most exciting way to live, in my opinion. God knows people and has resources we don’t even know about! I love saying “I’m with HIM!”
Phil
August 17th – Only God could orchestrate the events of a trip this short, this eventful, this smooth. Amazing.
Thursday (the 13th) we flew to Denver then drove to Gering. We stayed with dear friends Thursday night who gave us the run-of-the-house since they were headed out of town the next day. Was good to be at (somebody’s) home, free to come and go – without staying in a hotel/motel.
Friday
8:30 am – we met Holli, our realtor, at the house we thought we liked best and went through it in person. This would set the bar for the others we’d see today. We instantly hit it off with her (all contact previous had been phone and email). Honest, friendly, helpful, encouraging – definitely more interested in helping us than in selling something. Fell in love with a house that was more than we had in mind, but would require NO work -none- to move in and get going in ministry.
12:45 pm – met with the lender, same bank the church does its business with. A long, careful meeting that ended in our loan being approved, not for the ideal house, but for the one we saw first today. Were we disappointed? Absolutely. But we quickly reminded ourselves to trust God with that decision and helped each other back to thinking about the home He’s providing, the one we had our eye on all along.
4:00 pm – another careful tour through “Settler Drive” making notes of things we wanted to include in our offer, then off to the realtor’s office to complete it.
5:30 pm – offer complete. Time for a light dinner – cuz we’re hungry, not to celebrate, the seller hasn’t accepted yet.
7:00 pm – call from Holli. They’re open to your offer, will think and talk about it, sleep on it and let us know in the morning.
8:15-ish – visit with Hashley’s, met their family, who are all home this week, played games and laughed through the evening.
Saturday AM – Phone call, the sellers are countering, splitting the difference on the price, will do the action items you asked for. Our answer: Great! Made arrangements to meet and sign the documentation.
Lunch with Adrian, a young man who was in our youth group when we were here before. He is walking with the Lord and involved at Calvary. What a great visit. After lunch we signed the counter-offer and headed for Denver to catch our plane home.
Flight delay in Denver wasn’t much fun, we were so tired, but it DID give some time I wasn’t counting on and I boarded the plane ready to teach the next morning.
We are quietly amazed.
– July 11th we listed our home in Genesee Depot
– August 1st we received an offer, countered and it was accepted.
– August 14th we made an offer on a home in Gering.
– August 15th we accepted the counter-offer.
That’s five weeks from start to finish in a real estate market where this just isn’t supposed to happen. God isn’t limited like we are.
Lord, again, Thank You for orchestrating this as only You can!
Phil—