Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
He showed me a picture of it, late one night as we sat awake in the hotel room, taking care of our new little girl.
A month into parenthood, we were also house hunting, having just left the mission field after five years in a country about as far away as we could have been.
We’d loved it, but it was time to be back “home”…and we were struggling to find what that might look like.
We found ourselves in a brand new state, thanks to his new job, and we desperately needed a place for our family to live. We were watching the days tick down into single digits, looking at house after house after house.
But none of them felt like they could be home.
And then he pulled up the picture of the blue, two-story, and I told him no because it didn’t have a fence. This new, very-tired-and-over-the-top-emotional mama, who also happened to have two crazy golden retrievers, Needed. A. Fence.
Mostly for her sanity.
But he insisted we look at it, and so we did.
That whole time period in my life is fuzzy, but I do remember this day. I remember the way we stepped out of the van to see a house that made both of us smile. We stepped inside, our eyes connected, and we knew it was completely the home that was meant for us.
And it was.
On that July day in 2010, I never would have dreamed of the home God would give us within these walls, the ones I sit inside at this very moment. The blinds are open, and the bits of the neighborhood I can see hold so many precious memories.
I never could have imagined the community He would build for us. The friends who would become our family, the church who would love us and take us as we were…and still are, the neighborhood that makes me whisper thanks every day that this is the place we planted the roots deep.
Roots have grown strong, and I need to remember all He did to make them strong. <<Click to Tweet
2010 was a hard year for us, in many ways. We faced huge life changes and transcontinental relocation, all within a matter of weeks. We had no idea what to expect and had many days when we simply had to hand all of it to our Father, loosening our grasp from what felt impossible.
And yet, He made it possible. And He made it wonderful, too.
It’s not an earth-shattering lesson, this trusting Him thing. But maybe it is.
Because as I look back at how He took care of us then, I know without a doubt that He will always take care of us.
True, life doesn’t turn out like any of us imagine it will, I’m sure.
There are disappointments and failures and days of heartache. There are times when we’ve all wanted to ask Him, why?
Heck, I ask Him that often. Probably every day.
But in the end, it comes back to trust. To surrender. To looking back and seeing all He’s done, knowing He will continue to do the same.
The sun is shining late this afternoon, after a gray-sky day.
I’m facing questions and wondering just what He’s up to. I’d like to have the answers and see the picture that is supposed to be beautiful, the one that doesn’t look that way just yet.
And He always takes me back to the last half-decade, the one I would say has shaped and defined my family more than any other years.
We look at what He’s done, and we take the next step forward. Because we know He can. And He will.
Where are you today, friend? Are you having a hard time trusting Him? Can you look back and see all He’s done?
I pray that will give you hope.
And I’d love to pray for you today, too.
Mel Schroeder is a follower of her Father, wife to Tobin, mama to Mae, a friend. She loves music, running, long chats over coffee, and could probably live on dark chocolate. A dreamer who loves everything from swinging on vines in the jungle and surfing, to dancing through her days with her sweet girl and heart-spilling on her blog, she takes each step of the ever-winding journey with faith that her Father has it all planned for good. She blogs at A Barefoot Life and can be found on Facebook and Twitter. She is also a regular contributor for God-sized Dreams.