In the Old Testament God commands the Israelites to remember what He has done. The passover was to remember and was also a beautiful foreshadowing of the death of Jesus for our sins. When they crossed the Jordan River to enter the promise land God commanded them to build a monument so they would remember what He had done. Many times the Israelites are instructed by God to remember to remember the miracles. I deeply believe in the importance of remembering and sharing what God has done. David said, "I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together." Ps 34:1-3
My goal in sharing this is that you would exalt His name with me.
This story of Gods provision may be minor in comparison to Him providing a place to live, blessing my job situation or keeping my husband alive. But to me it shows how loving He is and faithful in the smaller details. When we first got married God blessed us with the money to by a beautiful good quality loveseat and sofa set. Upon moving to Vancouver we had to leave behind our sofa due to lack of space. The new place we are moving into has space restrictions as well but we are determined to figure out the best way to fit the most people in our living room with out making it too crowded.
After a trip to Ikea and a perfect to scale drawing of the new place (thanks to my dear husbands carpentry skills) we hashed out a plan on how to maximize seating without cramping the space. This meant the TV got the boot to the second bedroom. We also realized there was no way to fit a loveseat and a sofa in together. We picked out the perfect combo, a sofa with chaise lounge attached from Ikea, we even picked out the material we wanted. The only problem was the cost. Not that we couldn't take it out of our saving but we were debating how important it was for us to have that exact set up. We prayed and trusted that God would provide what He wanted. My heart was firm, we would not spend the extra money we would find something else on Craigslist. So I typed into the Craigslist search, "Karlstad sofa with chaise lounge" Bingo! The day before someone had posted one... Crazy right. Crazier still it was the exact material we had pick. It was still available and it was half the price of the new one. It had hardly been used. On top of it all, the girl selling it was storing it at her mothers. The mother said she didn't mind keeping it there until we were able to pick it up, even if it was until we moved to our new place saving us having to move it twice. But seriously, the exact couch with chaise lounge in the exact material we wanted. God, you are so good!
I'm sure you know this already, but it is not about the sofa. As Matt and I move forward in what God has called us to it will be hard. There will be all kinds of opposition. First off our own sinful nature that would rather pursue pleasure and comfort. Well meaning Christians who don't understand the vision. The practical aspect of fleshing our what we need to do in the place and time we live in. Spiritual opposition that will only get stronger the more we seek first the Kingdom and the more God uses us to call people enslaved to sin to himself. The list could go on, but you get the point. We know God has called us to reach the lost people in Vancouver. We feel the best way to do this is through prayer, the living out and preaching of the gospel, personal discipleship and family-like community. As challenges come God has blessed us with so many "Jordan crossings" that we can be confident we are exactly where He wants us. When I'm feeling overwhelmed and confused or frustrated, I can make my cup of tea, grab my Bible and journal and curl up in my Karlstad sofa chaise lounge in "Sivik Dark Gray" and remember how God brought us this far. How He is faithful in the big and small things.
"Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation will commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. On the glorious splendor of your majesty and on your wondrous works, I will mediate. They will speak of the might of your awesome deeds and I will declare your greatness. They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and sing aloud your righteousness."
Ps 145:3-7
Will be continued sometime in the future, I'm sure.
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