Isn’t it incredible to see the hand of God in our lives? His power, his provision, his protection, his guidance, his lovingkindness, HE is evident everywhere, every day. And I’m so grateful for constant reminders of his presence with us, Emmanuel. Because I don’t know about you, but I do know myself, and I’m fairly certain that without these reminders, I would be up there with Thomas in the ranks of doubters. We’ve all had our share of struggles, questions, burdens, crises, and I bet most everyone has a story of a time they were keenly aware of experiencing God’s grace in the midst of a difficult situation.
A couple years ago when Luke had finished seminary and was applying to every job he could find, I was still working full time and homeschooling our daughter with two younger kids at home too. We didn’t know what was next for our family, particularly whether we would be staying in the area or moving away. The house we were renting left a lot to be desired, and we were anxious to own a home again, to settle down somewhere, to get on with our life. I remember asking for prayer one Sunday morning at church, telling the prayer minister that I was just tired of not knowing. It was exhausting to be wondering, clueless about where God was leading us.
Then one morning I was doing a Bible lesson with the kids about Abram. It was such a familiar story from Genesis, and we were reading the part when God tells Abram to pack up and start walking. God didn’t tell him where he was headed, just to go “to the land I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). And he did. Just like that, he packed up his family and left the comfort of his home, because he believed God’s promises. And sure enough, when they got to Canaan, God appeared and told Abram he could stop walking, that this was his new home. As you read further you find that Abram was blessed beyond measure, just as God said he would be.
When I was reading this to the kids, I could feel the little lightbulb over my head flicker on. I can still feel the flood of relief washing my anxiety away in that moment, knowing that the God who created the universe has a specific plan for the Campbell family, a plan far greater than anything we could imagine. He has already written our story, and he’s showing us one page at a time. Now don’t get me wrong, I still worry and have moments of nagging doubt and fear. I want to skip to the next chapter and know what’s around the bend for us. But I frequently find myself reflecting on that moment, sitting on the living room floor reading about Abram to my squirmy kids, knowing I’m getting way more out of this lesson than they are. And I bask in God’s goodness, his faithfulness as he leads us on this amazing journey. I take comfort in knowing that I don’t have to figure it all out, that I’m not really in charge of all the details (although I’ll admit that isn’t so easy for a control freak).
We are so grateful for where he has brought us already. And even as we find ourselves in yet another season of questions, of waiting for the page to be turned, we know there is something exciting in our future. Pieces are coming together, maybe not as quickly as we would like, but we know the foundation is being laid for something beyond our dreams. So we wait in faith for God to appear and announce to us that this is what he has been preparing us for. This is where he has been leading us. We wait in earnest for the day when we can look back and say, isn’t it incredible?
