My journey in discovering God for myself began in 2006, when my husband got an offer to move us to MN for 3 months. I knew something was coming because just 6 months before I was washing dishes and almost audibly heard a voice telling me to "prepare to move". It seemed silly, ridiculous, and impossible. I had 2 small children and didn't know diddly about MN, but my sense of adventure had me jump at the challenge.
When I got there my excitement soon faded. I felt lost, lonely, and totally forgotten. I was right where God wanted me! God was gracious enough to send me 3 angels, the Crust family, Rosedahl family, and the Yasseri family. Through them, He provided friendships and began showing me my need for people, along with several others that came later.
Minnesota is known for its 10,000 lakes. One of my dreams was living with a lake view, needless to say I was thrilled that in driving or walking distance there were picturesque lake views and places for God to quiet my spirit. When winter settled in that year I began to really feel alone because when its 0 - -30 degrees you don't get out much. That's when my desperation turned me to God and for the first time I began to finally see Jesus! I sang, prayed, cried, and I began to hold onto those little pieces of me that He was shinning a light on. One devotional that I read that really stuck with me was that in the winter everything seems to be dead, but deep in the ground the root growth happens. After I read that I looked outside to see the snow covered sleeping bushes and understood. This was a season of opportunity for growth for me and it was going to be deep and there was going to be promise that came with it.
Our 3 months turned into 9 months and another move for us to return was planned and we returned 6 months later! Thank goodness, the relationships remained and our location was about the same. Things felt a little different the 2nd time. As I began taking somethings for granted and began to become resentful. I was hurt because I was jealous of the relationships everyone around me and away from me was having and that I was "only temporary". I had one of those Nancy Kerrigan "Why, God Why?" moments. (Yes, I can be a bit dramatic)I had begun to close my heart because I was hurt and tired of feeling like a drifter. I complained about everything, but God was still good. He sent me a reminder that He was still with me and it began to tender and warm my heart. He wasn't going to let me grow cold! (There's another story in this story, later)
After making a couple more moves we had finally came back to our home in GA. It wasn't long before we got the call again to move back to MN. This time it would be further south and away from everything that was familiar. At this point I now had 3 children and was homeschooling my older two. I knew I was going to need something to keep me happy so I requested 1 thing, a lake view. We moved to Chaska, MN on one of the hottest day of that year. It was July 1st of 2011 when I walked into our new home with great anticipation of my view....blocked by a forest. SERIOUSLY God!!!! God has a way of testing us and showing us how far we've come especially when we don't even realize it. Think Karate Kid....you know the wax on wax off moves that saved the karate kids butt later.
Our apt had a strong ciggarret smell that seeped through our kitchen and filled our apt. due to the down stairs neighbor, the view was trees, and not a friend near by. Here I was again struggling and trying to keep my sanity. I was deterrmend to not let this time go by without gaining some ground with God again. After I wallowed and had my "Israelite moment" I made myself get up every morning to have a quiet time. I became depresserate for Him again! I prayed for clean air and I began to thank Him for where he had me. I began to thank him for the fall that was to come because then the trees would sleep and the promise of my view would come! This is where I learned the life lesson of praising my way through difficult circumstances.
As mid September came I began to notice a reflective light of rippling water dancing on our ceiling for about 20 mins everyday and when I saw it I gave thanks to God for the view I could not see but for the view that was to come. We had found a church, we were getting involved and the neighbor down stairs was moving... hallelujah! Autumn soon came and the curtain of leaves began to fall revealing the view I had anticipated! Soon the sights and sounds of geese and ducks came. Their calls ringing out to one another to gather together for their preparations to fly south for the winter. As I stood out on that deck I began asking God for this view to one day be mine, as a reminder for my time in MN, and I began thanking him for the lake house I would one day have.
Fast forward to March of this year, on a late Saturday night. Doing some "frivolous" searches for lake side properties, we came across one that seemed almost to good to be true. We made the apt to see it and fell in love! It was more than we had ever hoped for, could have dreamed of, and even thought possible. It was a place I knew could quiet my soul and would be the reminder of how good God is. We took our savings and stepped out in faith, believing and receiving what was before us. I write this to say this....God never leaves us and never forgets us or our dreams. It is us who need to come expecting and anticipating that something good is going to happen for us. That even in the hardest of times our perception of life is only a prayer away and God can change our hearts to see clearly the things he has and had right there waiting for us.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 And the Lord answered me and said, Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes may be able to read it easily and quickly as he hastens by. For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end: it will not deceive or disappoint. Though it tarry, wait earnestly for it, because it will surely come; it will not be behindhand on its appointed day.
