Leaps of Faith

"I am never doing that!" I remember when I said those words to my husband; his heart sank in his chest, and I had accidentally hurt him. I was stubborn, and I thought I knew it all.

Honestly, I never entertained moving from Michigan to Florida though my husband asked me to do it off and on for ten years. You see, I was NEVER moving to Florida. Now that I did it, I know that I made the right decision; I realize that God uprooted me and planted me into a new house of God and an up-and-coming community: North Port. He knew where my physical and spiritual address would eventually preside. Yet I was stuck in my microcosm, and I could not see beyond the safe and secure walls of my Michigan church family and its vision. I was planted, and I did not see that I had stopped growing. I saw a lot of fruit on my tree. I was satisfied and walking in this fruitfulness, but He had and has so much more for me to discover.

It took me ten years to be ready to move to sunny Florida; God knew how long I needed. He used my husband to introduce the idea, and he begged me for years. Once he let go and let God, I was freed. He trusted God that it would happen. He was the head of our family; he received the vision, but I needed to hear from God too. I was like Abraham's Sarah; she needed to hear that she was having a baby from God and not just her husband in her old age. She laughed when her husband told her because it did not seem likely or possible. She had her life figured out; I guess I thought I did too!

The word “move” first came from God in January 2003. I heard it in the bedroom, and I pondered moving to a new house. This interpretation landed us right back into marriage counseling.

On July 3rd, 2003, I heard the clear words "Move to Florida". How could it be any clearer? Mind you, I was pregnant with this seed for a long time; the seed came spiritually through my husband. I had uncertainty and fear about moving. I needed to know for sure that it was what God wanted for me and our home. I did not want to be out of the will of God, on a temporary tangent, or worse yet, walk away from God because I moved away from my somewhat paradise life in Michigan.

I did what any conscientious Christian would do: I put out my fleece that day. The word was confirmed by a very sweet girlfriend. You see, I had to know beyond a shadow of doubt that it was what God wanted me to do. But saying yes took all the faith in the world. I had an opportunity to listen; the windows of heaven were open to us. Would I leap? And once I did, my husband leaped with me.

He opened every door that needed to be open and closed doors that needed to be shut in three weeks time. We were moved, our house was rented, we had an apartment, and we both had teaching jobs. We started teaching on July 26th. That is a miracle. While many people thought our moved was planned, it was not.

So, I am here today and praising God. Things did not happen overnight. We moved across the state three times. I cried for friends; I cried for God. I was looking for God to plant me in a place where I could grow and be a blessing to others. I wanted to use my gifts, but I knew I had some fears I needed to overcome. I wanted to move forward; I thought I was stuck. We are finally planted and growing in an awesome church: Gulf Coast Assembly of God (GCAG). We have true friends. We are loving life and making a difference.

What would have happened if I moved prematurely? I think it would have been a disaster even though he would have gotten me back on track. We can go the hard or easy way. He gives us a choice. In fact, we can even suffer and say no, but he keeps wooing us back. For His plans are good for us; He knows what will ultimately satisfy. We think we know our hearts, but we do not.

I want to impress upon you the importance of listening for God and looking for Him in everything. I am reminded of the Battle of Jericho. The victory came easy because of obedience. They were told to walk around the city for six days. On the seventh day, they marched first and waited for the word: shout. They gave the victory shout at the appointed time. Thus, God had everything aligned on the seventh day; if they had done it any sooner, they would have failed.


In short, you don’t have to spend hours in prayer to hear from God; He speaks to us, and He speaks in His word. His sheep, that's us, know His voice. He uses circumstances and people to speak into our lives too. When He does speak, move and take the leap of faith. He also want us to be obedient. If you have heard from God and when you look back, you can be sure you heard right. There is no need to question, just trust. You can know that God is and was with you every step of the way. You can look to Him for hope because He is with you right where you are; this is the secret to standing: know where you are placed and trust! When it’s time to leap, do it and trust! It’s really much simpler than it sounds. On that note, I’m keeping it real!




*I am enclosing this photo of two close friends I have come to know and love in North Port, Florida! I met them at GCAG! It is so good to laugh again.