Over the last month or two I have been searching and praying for a place to live come May. My house here next to church has been a huge blessing over the past two years. God has used it to renew and refresh me and has allowed me opportunities to share it in various ways with others. It has placed me close to some of the best neighbors a girl could ask for who have truly become family. And if I’m being honest, the thought of having to leave this place I’ve called home the past few years was tough.
But in the words of a kids game “ready or not” the time has come. So, instead of becoming sad or bitter I turned instead to these passage, claiming the promises, telling God I fully expected Him to answer:
“…He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. (Acts 17:26-27)
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” (Psalm 90:1)
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'” (Psalm 91:1-2)
Day after day after day, in the midst of Craigslist searching, waiting list, doing and redoing budgets, questions, applications, driving around town, and more, I kept coming back to these verses. Some days it was with excitement, dreaming of the place God would have for me. Other days I perhaps had an attitude with God, praying these passages simply so I could hear the truth that no matter where I lived, God would truly be my dwelling place and refuge, not the 4 walls that would surround me.
These verses helped me pray “anything”. Despite people’s opinions on 1 bedroom or 2, how far away it should be or what process or timing I should use to find an apartment, over time, my heart truly got to a point of being able to say “Anything, God! I’ll go anywhere, just lead the way.”
Thankfully, after months of searching, God has indeed led the way. A lease is signed and I can’t wait to see how He uses this place, at this time, so that people might reach out and find Him. Already I see Him using me in the lives of my future landlord and neighbors. I’m dreaming of the ways I can use the space He’s given me to serve others. I reflect on the years in my current house and am amazed. I trust that I’ll have just as many amazing stories of God’s grace and love in the new apartment.
Here’s to the next adventure! Anything!
Lord, give me enough faith for the stories my life will hold!
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