Click here to read the July 2nd brain dump.
Click here to read Cetelia's brain dumps.
a. While the July 1st brain dump contained my rawest emotions yet, this brain dump will contain the story of what could very well be the strangest, most logic-defying, "only God could do this" story you'll ever hear.
b. Today we moved into a house (yeah!) - about 90 minutes from Fort Worth. Remember this fact because it factors heavily into the story.
c. You may know that we are a homeschooling family, with Cetelia taking on the majority of the teaching responsibilities. In addition to teaching our kids at home, she also serves as a teacher in the homeschooling association we're a part of. Once a week, our kids and others using the same curriculum meet for a day of fellowship and refreshing what should have been taught at home. Cetelia was a teacher for four years in NC.
d. She connected with the homeschooling program director in this area late last week over email, and was invited to a teachers meeting this past Monday night about 90 minutes away from Fort Worth.
e. The program director recalled that Cetelia was an hour and a half, and told her that she did not have to make the drive (and that she probably wouldn't do it if she was in Cetelia's shoes).
f. So, Monday and Tuesday pass, and it's Wednesday. That is the day the strange, logic-defying, only God could do this thing took place.
g. Cetelia received an email from the program director telling her about the teaching positions, and included this at the close of her email:
I'll be praying for y'all to find a home and get settled!
We will be out of town most of July and would be MORE than happy to let you have the use of our home. It may be nice for y'all to have a location in north Dallas area while attending the practicum or just need to be closer for a bit to be house hunting. My husband and I are both in agreement about this and want to offer it to your family as needed this month. Please consider this and let me know.
h. What?!? Are you serious? Who does this? They didn't know us. They had never seen us. They didn't know anything about us besides us just moving from NC, staying with friends in Fort Worth, and looking for a house. They didn't know anything about Marriage Works! or anything else.
i. We were stupefied (and still are). We didn't know what to say (and still don't). It was the most amazing thing we had ever heard, and it was more evidence that God really is behind our move to Texas.
j. We contacted them and arranged to meet [for the first time!] Thursday morning before she left the state with her daughters for a family reunion.
k. We woke up at 5:45 AM Thursday, got dressed, ate, and made the 90 minute drive their house. As we parked in front of the house, our nervousness and amazement kicked into high gear. We rang the doorbell, and the wife opened with a warm smile and invited us in.
l. After the introductions she took us on a tour of their house, and invited us to use all the beds and bathrooms - including their bed and bathroom. Nuts, right?!?
m. She gave us a key, garage opener, wifi code, pass to the neighborhood pool, and a full sheet of tips to help us get the most out of their home. In addition, we have access to all their bikes, rollerblades, toys, AND they told us to bring Marty, our 3 year-old dog who has been boarded for nearly 35 days, and appears to be a shell of his regular lively self. So, for the first time since we've been in Texas, we're all staying under the same roof tonight.
n. Still shocked and waiting for the Candid Camera crew to show up, I said to the husband, "Uhm, you know this is weird right. You guys don't know us, and you're leaving your house to us." He said, "It's just a house. It's not sacred. And it's God's." Amazing.
o. This is a blessing for multiple reasons: 1) We're now 15-20 minutes from church instead of 90 minutes. 2) We're in the area where we're house hunting, so no more 90 minute drives just to look at a house that we hope is "the one." 3) Cetelia has a three-day training coming up in less than 10 days, and instead of driving 3-4 hours a day for three straight days to attend it, she'll be driving 45-60 minutes/day tops.
p. We told our host family in Fort Worth, and they were just as flabbergasted as we were. This is truly Psalm 118:23 in living color: "The LORD is responsible for this, and it is amazing for us to see."
q. There are sooo many thoughts running through my head regarding this, perhaps too many to put into one dump. So, I'll start with a couple tonight, and will add more throughout our time here.
#1. God has a plan, and none of us can wreck it. While our doubt, fear, faithlessness, sin, whatever can affect how much of God's plan we entertain in our life; God's plan will come to pass. I can't stop it, and neither can you. No matter how fearful I was, God still made this happen.
#2. I mentioned the other day how my pastor's wife sent us a devotion about Elijah and a widow. This is how the story begins: "Go to Zarephath in Sidon and stay there. There is a widow there that I commanded to take care of you.”
I feel like this is our story. We've been sent to this area for a family to take care of us. Had my pride not been broken with the first family, there is NO way I would have accepted this tremendously mind-boggling offer from our new host family. They're 25 hours away from their house, and joyfully have five strangers from NC living it it!! That's nuts.
r. I sent the wife a text when we got to the house this evening to let her know we were here. I guess I wanted to see if the police or neighborhood watch would show up before I moved my stuff into the house.
I texted:
Hi, Lucy* – it's Kevin, Cetelia's husband. We're here! We arrived about 30 mins ago, and are still pinching ourselves to see if this is a dream or reality. Hope your reunion went well, and that you all have a safe drive to NY.
Here's what she texted back:
"Great! I hope y'all enjoy yourselves and have successful house hunting!"
What?!? "Great! I hope y'all enjoy yourselves?" Who says that?!? The LORD is responsible for this, and it is amazing for us to see.
s. There's so much more I could write about this, but I'll stop here tonight. God is doing something big. I'll close with these three scriptures because they speak to the amazement factor:
Look among the nations and watch. Be amazed and astonished. I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you. (Habakkuk 1:5, GNT)
Yup, he's doing it.
Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]. (Ephesians 3:20, AMP)
Phillip at WOLFC gave this scripture to me more than a year ago. He came up to me several Sundays in a row and shared the same thing. I'm seeing it happen now.
t. This is God's show. I'm just one of many cast members.
u. God is the director. I'm simply the dude responsible for bringing him chips and soda.
v. This is God's flow. I'm just navigating my raft trying to stay on the top of the water.
w. God is driving the car. I'm in the backseat, like Mrs. Daisy, going along for the ride.
x. God's the executive chef. I'm just a prep chef hoping to one day become a station chef.
y. I'm humbled to be a part of such a magnificent event. We'll see what's next.
z. And to think, I was going to stop blogging the other day. What do I know?!?
KBB
* Not her real name
