Today, I’m joining in a Wildflowers from Winter bloghop, the brainchild of my writer friend, Katie Ganshert. Her blog link is here: http://katieganshert.com/blog/. Katie’s debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, illustrates how the toughest winters in our lives can produce the most beautiful wildflowers. I just won Katie’s book and have already read about 1/4th of it! Here’s a photo (sorry, Katie, I covered your first name, I was too excited!).
.Today, we’re all sharing about a winter time in our lives, when everything looked bleak, and then God brought some wildflowers from it. Even when we least expected it.
I wanted to talk about a time in our family’s life when we had to obey God, even when the stakes were high.
We’d been happily settled near my husband’s family in beautiful upstate New York for six years. I’d given birth to two of my babies there. Our kiddos were growing up just down the road from their grandparents and great-grandparents. But something wasn’t quite right.
My husband was depressed. His job wasn’t the right fit. But we couldn’t figure out why. He worked with strong Christians, he had a great boss, he excelled at his work. So what was the problem?
For at least two years, I’d been taking my husband’s depression to the Lord (The Power of a Praying Wife, by Stormie O’Martian, helped me know how to pray for my husband). Finally, God threw open a door. Wide open! He made it clear this was the right job for my hubby.
Only problem was, it was eleven hours away, in Virginia.
Have you ever felt torn in two? I did. Even though we both knew my hubby would be perfect for this job, it would mean leaving family and friends behind. I know some people probably thought we were crazy for even considering it.
However, we’d been praying the prayer of Jabez (don’t pray this unless you’re serious!), and we knew this was God’s way of increasing our “territory” for the Lord.
So, for months, I grieved. I grieved the family cookouts we would miss. I grieved my children’s height marks on the doorframe in our house. I grieved my close friendships–friends who had prayed me through difficult times. I grieved the distance that would come between us and my mother and father-in-law, who were truly like my second set of parents.
Nevertheless, we obeyed and moved. I didn’t even pray for new friends, because I didn’t care. This move was for my husband. I dealt with the fallout for my kids–the late-night bawling for their “Me-ma.” I dealt with my own fallout–I had to give my dog away because he had no room to run. I was in a suburb, where neighbors see your every move and the stars are blurred by city lights.
But the strangest thing started happening. God began pouring out His blessings. He had seen our obedience.
We were invited to an awesome church, where our kids started making wonderful friends.
I found a mom’s Bible study, and started making friends of my own.
My husband loved his job–and yes, he made friends, too!
And we even had nice neighbors! They treat our kids like their own grandchildren.
And now, six years later, God wants us to obey again.
We’re packing up to move right now.
We’re leaving our church family–the body of believers who has always been there for us.
We’re all saying goodbye to some of our closest friends.
Our kids have to leave a great Christian school and a wonderful homeschool co-op, both of which have helped them mature so much.
But guess what? When God shows us what to do, we’d rather obey than sit around, wondering what could have been. We know He will provide. This takes faith, because my hubby doesn’t even have a job locked in yet.
People might think we’re crazy.
But we know that, like the song says, “Obedience is the very best way to show that you believe.”
Our kids have watched us put God first, no matter how outrageous that might be. And, we just know that on the other side of this move (closer to my parents this time), there will be a whole FIELD of wildflowers from winter!
****Thanks for doing this bloghop, Katie! Do share–has God ever asked you to obey when it seemed too much to bear? Has he ever brought good from a bad situation in your life?****
Thank you for sharing your story. I've been waiting for this blog hop for a couple of weeks, because I love hearing the amazing ways God works in people's lives. I'll be sharing my own story later today on my blog!Answering the call to move your family is amazing. It sounds trite, but just moving from my first home, about a mile from our second, was hard and involved some grieving – I can't imagine moving hundreds of miles away. Your story is a great testament to your obedience.
Amazing, amazing, AMAZING testimony!God always provides where He leads and obedience always leads to blessings! Not necessarily monetary or material blessings….sometimes the simple blessing of an increased faith and reliance on Him.Love this post, Heather!
Thanks so much for the comments! Yes, obedience is so hard, since it usually taps an area where we feel vulnerable! I'll be popping over to check your blog out, too, Gabrielle! And looking forward to the hop, Katie!
Heather, this was powerful. Obedience like the obedience you experienced is the hardest there is. To obey when you know you have to give up so much is such a testimony to your faith. And yes, those flowers bloom in bright array when we do obey!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Sherrinda! I'm not an overly emotional person, but moves always bring up such a range of emotions for me. I was hoping this post would help someone who's in the same boat!
Thank you for sharing your story! I am so caught up in the blog-hop this morning that I may just skip Friday and stay in the chair. 🙂
Thank you for sharing this testimony of God's goodness! I know the past four years have been a time of growth. Learning to trust is not easy but God has never left my side. This journey in writing is harder than I thought and I'm glad. When I finally get published I will be able to give God the glory and not think I did it in my own power.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm so enjoying reading everyone's stories. How am I supposed to get any writing done today? LOL It's neat to read when God rewards faithfulness. 🙂
I love your story of obedience. I've been in similar circumstances myself and I've learned God will definitely come through. 🙂
Ahh, moving is so hard–but when it's done to follow God you'll always see His blessings. Since I've been married I've been able to stay put, but I moved ten times as a kid, and they were all hard moves. But there were so many obvious blessings–meeting my husband among them!
I love your testimony. Moving out in faith can be so hard when our feelings/rationale seem to say the opposite, but I love your story of the blessings of listening to His still small voice and being radically obedient.
Wow, Heather, you and your family are acting on faith – and that's just awesome. I love my state and being close to family and it would be so, so hard for me to pick up and leave. But I want to be like you and your husband, willing to pick up and go if God says, "Go." Willing to do the hard things. Willing to obey. Because you're so right, there are blessings on the other side. Thanks for sharing your story and best wishes for your move!
These stories in the bloghop today have been so uplifting! So glad you thought of this, Katie! And I appreciate everyone's comments. It's so hard when you can't see the end from the beginning, but then again, THAT'S faith! Something I always need to work on!
I have to admit…it would be really, really hard for me to move. Like, really. Especially since what I've been through in my life, because family and time with them is sooo important to me. I admire your obedience. Where are you moving to next?
I know, Lindsay! We were very torn between sets of parents, but God opened the door to be near my parents in West Virginia (a place I grew up and thought I would never return to…but God changed my heart…that's a whole DIFFERENT post right there!).
What an amazing story, Heather! Keep following His leading! How awesome!! I hope the move goes well and I know everything will "click" into place at the right time and in the right way.
wow, sounds like you've been very blessed. pays to be brave and do what you have to do! Congrats to Katie!