BUT WITHOUT FAITH IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO PLEASE HIM (Hebrews 11:6)
To open this installment of our story, let us revisit the “quote of the month” from our previous article as it aptly describes our subject: Faith. “There is nothing, indeed, which God will not do for a man who dares to step out upon what seems to be the mist; though as he puts down his foot he finds a rock beneath him,” F.B. Meyer. In I Corinthians chapter 10 Jesus Christ is described as the Rock that provided for all the needs of the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings. I have every confidence in that same Rock to provide for His New Testament children if they are walking in His Light. It was this very confidence that brought strength to Laura and me as we decided to step out on the mists of faith assuredly knowing that there was a Rock on which to firmly plant our steps. As a testimony of God’s pleasure in providing for His children who walk by faith, I will chronicle the details of how the Lord ordered the steps of our move from Stonington, Connecticut to DeLand Florida. It is my hope that our story will be an encouragement as you, too, step out in faith.
In February 2004, all was in good order; I had a very good and secure job with promotion potential. We were only days away from securing a mortgage to build a home in preparation for our retirement years. Our son-in-law and daughter had given us our first grandbaby; we were in a good church; our aging parents were living nearby in Rhode Island; we thought surely Connecticut would be the place of our home-going.
It was in that same February when we made the commitment to leave our family, church, and beloved New England to attend Bible school in Florida (see our article of October 2005 under archives for details). We understood the Lord was already using our circumstances to grow our faith but I am a slow learner and needed remedial training.
We had formulated what we thought to be a prudent course and schedule. We had to sell the mobile home we were living in as well as the 3.5-acre woodlot we had purchased almost four years previously in anticipation of building our retirement home. We planned to leave for Florida in November of 2004 and to begin school in February 2005.
The trial of my faith began in earnest with my long-distance job search. I soon realized relocating to DeLand would not be career enhancing. The better jobs were to the south in Orlando, which put them out of commuting range and in conflict with the school schedule.
My skepticism seemed to be growing faster than my faith. The longer I mused upon my “yeah-buts,” the bigger and fiercer my Philistine appeared to be. There were so many details that needed to fall into place. I was sure we would be extending our departure date out to the following semester.
Oh, but God! On a dreary Friday evening in April, we put a “for sale” sign in the window of our mobile home and before it was dark a woman stopped by to look the place over. Although she was not the one who eventually bought it, within two weeks, it was under contract at our listed price. It was then we realized God might have a different timetable in mind than we anticipated. The purchasing couple graciously agreed to a late June closing date, so we had no need to rent temporary lodging until our move date.
In late May Laura Jean and I made a survey trip to DeLand to look for housing and to follow up on a few job leads. We found a delightful rental home in neighboring DeBary just 20-30 minutes from the church and school. However, the job prospects were a different lesson. After our whirlwind four-day trip, we arrived back home at 0130 Monday morning. I went to work for 0730 weary in body yet exhilarated in spirit; I confidently believed God was going to fit the rest of the pieces into place as He knew best.
While I was at work that first day back, Laura received a phone call at home from a young man who was interested in looking at our property. I returned his call that evening and we made plans to meet at the property after work the following evening. As we walked the property, I thought if God was going to bless this I do not want to miss an opportunity to talk to this young man about his soul. I then began to explain our reason for selling the property and presented the gospel to him. It turned out that he was a Christian but he was clearly caught aback by what he perceived as reckless abandonment in cashing it all in just to attend Bible school especially with no employment prospect. After we finished our tour of the property, he said, “I admire your commitment but I am skeptical about your going with no job lined up.” I must confess that not having a job waiting for me was weighing heavily upon me also.
The next day he gave me a down payment for the land, which also sold for our asking price. With the second impediment removed, we clearly saw that God was overriding our plans and schedule; we would be in Florida a lot sooner than anticipated!
God, true to His word, continued to bless the steps of faith we took. This greatly sustained us as our moving date of June 28th rapidly approached and there was still no promise of a job. We knew God was going to see us through regardless of what happened. Even when my faith was weak, together, we had confidence in Jesus Christ our Great Savior: Lord, increase my faith (Luke 17:5).
Laura Jean was a big encouragement to me during this time. She and our daughter, Danielle, did most of the packing and preparations. Laura made it clear to me that she was willing to follow wherever the Lord would lead me. There was no expression of discouragement about not having a job; she viewed these things as a challenge to our faith, facing it cheerfully and supportively. Come what may, we were in this together and for the long haul.
On Friday, July 1, 2004, after a tiring three-day caravan-style road trip, we arrived in Florida. I drove a loaded 19-foot U-Haul truck with our Saturn in tow, which, too, was loaded with stuff. Laura drove our Volvo – yes, fully loaded with yet more stuff! And we thought we had pared down for this move! Fatigued but excited to be finished with this leg of our new adventure, with help from some of our new church family, we began to unpack and settle in to our comfortable, little rental home. We also settled in at church and began exploring the many outreach ministries.
I lost track of the number of resumes that went out. Being retired from the Coast Guard, we did have my monthly pension. While searching for a house to rent, we tried to keep our projected expenses within that pension. Laura’s well-developed skills in household frugality kept those costs to a minimum and we were still very comfortable. Praise the Lord for a good helpmeet.
I began to actively seek employment through temporary agencies. This has turned out to be the best fit for our needs and schedule. I am able to work as much as my time allows. This has also afforded me the opportunity to participate in several of the church-organized mission trips, giving me some great exposure to different ministries. Because I am not working 40 hours a week, I have time to study, read, and pray as never before. Frequently, Laura and I can have extended morning prayer time together. Our faith is exercised even further as we see God’s ability to provide for our needs while we live on a very limited budget. We have never been happier and take delight in proving God (Malachi 3:10).
What better way to close than with the familiar passage of Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Christian brothers and sisters – prove God; He will not disappoint you. He is all He said He would be and so much more. Next time I will chronicle our calling to the mission field of Sierra Lone. May God bless you in your service for Him.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
There is nothing, indeed, which God will not do for a man who dares to step out upon what seems to be the mist; though as he puts down his foot he finds a rock beneath him. ~ F. B. Meyer
