We sold our house and bought an apartment—and now we are preparing for what’s next.
Earlier this year, my wife and I felt the Lord telling us it was time to sell our house. For over a year we’ve known the Lord was going to call us to sell. We just didn’t know the when—don’t you love it when God tells you something except the timing?
I understand that the reality is that most of us don't. However, I firmly believe that not only does He know what's best, but His timing is always perfect.
He’s never too early.
He’s never late.
He’s right on time. Always.
That’s why when God says go, you go.
No matter what. No matter where. No matter what others think or say. No matter if it makes sense or not—when God says go, you go.
It comes down to a matter of simple obedience.
Obedience is that one word we love to read about but when it comes to implementing it in our daily lives—that’s where the challenge begins. Many of us don’t like being told what to do, but when God tells us what to do we only have one choice: to obey.
When Jesus becomes Lord of our life we surrender all our personal rights. We live for Christ.
I wish it was easy though, don’t you?
As we navigate life in a two-bedroom apartment—as a family of 6—we are learning to trust God in every circumstance. Our three oldest boys share a room. The youngest is about to be one and his crib is in our room. Thankfully we have two full bathrooms!
Several years ago while I was still a youth pastor I went to meet a friend of mine at a local coffee shop. We were planning to go around town to hang up flyers for our upcoming youth rally.
While I was driving there I passed Flagler Park—a park in the center of our town—and I noticed two men. They appeared homeless and immediately I felt the Lord say to me to stop and go pray with them.
Do you know what I did next?
I kept driving.
Palm in my face. I know—how could I?
I did my best to shove what I thought I heard in the back of my mind. I didn’t want to feel any awkwardness or be uncomfortable that day—after all, I was about to hang up flyers for a youth rally and that’s God’s work, right?
People always trump programs or productions. But at this moment I had that reversed.
When I got to the coffee shop and saw my friend I couldn’t shake the burden the Lord placed on my heart. I felt the Holy Spirit challenging my thinking and I knew I would not be at peace or in obedience if I didn’t do what I knew He asked of me.
So, I told my friend what I thought I heard the Lord say on my way to meet him.
Right away we both agreed—the flyers could wait.
We hopped in my car, drove down the street, and saw the two men.
This is where things got interesting.
We walked up to the two men—both nervous but knew we were supposed to—and said that the Lord told us to come pray with them.
They smiled.
Before we had a chance to pray one of the men proceeded to share the gospel with us using every letter of the English alphabet.
It. Was. Amazing!
It was at that moment I heard the Lord say that when He told me to go pray with them it wasn’t for them—it was for me!
He showed me that He just wants simple obedience. I was truly blessed to hear the gospel from that man even though I knew Jesus. There are days (honestly, every day) when I need to be reminded of the Good News, because of all the bad news life throws at us. I saw that man’s simple obedience and knew that’s how I needed to live—every day and at every moment being ready and willing to go wherever God tells me and say whatever He tells me to say.
Whether God is telling me to sell my house, go pray with someone, or do something entirely different I’ve come to learn He always has a plan and a purpose for it. He’s always so intentional and it’s amazing!
I guess you can say I’ve learned that when God says go, you go!
No matter what.
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