A supernatural home

As I write this, I am thinking some might not like the word “supernatural.”    To some it sounds like one of those religious fanatics that get all worked up on God’s prosperity message.  That is NOT what I am intending to write about today.  I woke up today and God impressed upon my heart about sharing His testimony of how He found us a “supernatural home.”  I was reading Psalm 107:1 and it states…

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—

I believe the Lord wants us to share our stories with one another to encourage each other.  Because of this reading….I am sharing  our story…..

The definition of the word supernatural according to google:

1.(of a manifestation or event) attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.
To me, that defines something that only God can do, that is why I am titling my post “A supernatural home.”
As many of you know, we have made a quick, somewhat unexpected move to a state 700 miles away from our home.  Within 3 weeks, we had gotten the job, sold our belongings, and packed up and moved.  All of this done without stress and worry.  Why?  Because God was the focus of this move.
One of my favorite bible verses that I look to much in my life is
Jeremiah 29:11

 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Many a times over the last 14 years of knowing the Lord, I would get down about life.  Upon coming to the knowledge of a saving Christ, I brought much baggage with me into my new relationship with Him.  I didn’t really learn much about God taking care of all my worries and leaving all my “junk” to Him till later on in my walk.  How much better I could have avoided many of the depressive, pitfalls that I faced over the past part of my life.

When I “discovered” this verse it really struck a cord with me.  Really???  There was someone who had plans all figured out for ME and it didn’t include punishing me for my sins and didn’t include making me live out a life of sadness and worry.  There was something out there that was promised to me and will strengthen my walk with the Lord.  How was I going to get it?

This didn’t happen all at once, well it manifested itself over time I am sure, but being a human being, I am sure I overlooked some of His blessings because of my own selfish desires.

My husband and I have often sat around and talked about making a move to a “warmer” place.  We have often looked at the mountains of Tennessee area.  We would talk about how much fun it would be to be able to take the children to parks and go out and explore for most all of the year.  Our home at that time was in Michigan.  I love Michigan, but I do know that for many a long months, we are stuck inside without much to do through those cold winter months.  Not a HUGE deal for myself, because I didn’t have to drive to work everyday in it.  But after having baby after baby and having them ALL locked in the home for months on end.  Days could get pretty harried.

We have rented our home for about 6 years.  Some will think, “You are wasting your money by renting.”  But we did purchase a home, once upon a time due to the “pressure” of saying  that we NEEDED to buy a home.  Well we fell into that pressure and bought not asking God for advice, but advice from people.  Then when the bad economy hit and my husband’s job was in danger, guess what??  We lost our home.  During that time it was hard, I was a fairly new believer in “God’s provision” for us. But God was molding us at that time to line our lives up with what “God” wanted for our lives, not us.

Ever try looking for a rental when you have just lost your home???  Almost next to impossible.  But when we started praying and really praying for God to provide a home.  He provided.

We found a home that was owned by a Christian woman.  Even this woman told us that she was “advised” not to rent to us, but she felt the Lord told her to accept our application.  I am thankful for Christians that listen to the Lord.  Can you imagine how much better our world would be if even “we” as Christians listened to and followed what God would have us do instead of doing what “we” want to do ourselves?

Our home, needed work.  I remember walking through it, and I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but it was tough.  It was dirty, needed lots of floor and wall repairs and I was pregnant at the time.  I didn’t say much just went home and cried out to the Lord.

As always, God provides.  We didn’t have much money, but thankfully it was tax time and we were able to receive a chunk of cash to allow us to pay the deposit and first months rent plus have money leftover to pay for new paint, flooring, and supplies.  My husband worked diligently staying at the home by himself and doing repairs and then leaving for work the next day.  He continued that for about 2 weeks to finally make the home “liveable.”  I am thankful for a husband that would care to provide a good home for his family.

This home served us well.  It was low enough in rent amount that we could afford it each month, even with low hours my husband was on.  It taught us to “live within our means”  which means that if you want something better, you had better save for it first instead of buying into the buy now and pay later mentality.

At the same time, we were blessing our landlord.  She was needing someone to do the upkeep on the home and then 6 years later when she was ready to sell it, God had blessed her, through us, with a home that was worth more because of all the new additions that we added to it.  My husband was also able to gain more skill sets by remodeling a kitchen and putting in new counter tops and floors.  He has completely gutted a bathroom and remodeled that.  He has become more knowledgeable in his life.  Isn’t God awesome working out “good” for both His people??

Okay, onto our current situation.  Even though my husband had longed for a warmer climate, and inside I was not looking to being cooped up all winter long with 6 little ones God was planning our “hearts desire” to a warmer place.

Our landlord told us she was ready to sell the home, which meant we needed to move.  My husband and I naturally thought, okay let’s start the process and buy a home here in Michigan.  I guess it is time to do that.  We were also praying for direction at this time as to which home to buy so that we didn’t get into another bad situation later on in life.

Proverbs 24:27

Prepare your work outside;
    get everything ready for yourself in the field,
    and after that build your house.

We started working and preparing our fields.  We did everything that we could physically do as humans. Even though I KNOW God can just give you things, I believe that He wants us to do our part in helping the situation.  We applied for a mortgage, did all the necessary paperwork, started looking for homes and left the rest up to God.

Meanwhile, we had a lull in the paperwork process and that is when the job offer came up for my husband in another state.  My husband was excited, but knew that we would not be able to make that expensive move, so he politely told the company he did not want to waste their time and it just wasn’t a good time to move, maybe in the future.

God had other plans…..my favorite verse Jeremiah 29:11…states he has plans to prosper you and to give you hope.  My husband was needing some “hope” to get through  this next long winter and God provided that with a move to a warmer climate.  The company offered to give us a bonus sign on, using it however we needed to get our family down to North Carolina.  (By the way, we are right next to the mountains of Tennessee but further south to enjoy the warmth of South Carolina.)  Talk about a supernatural act!!!!

2 Samuel 7:27

LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you.’ So your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.

Now it was time to look for a home down south.  Meanwhile, we were still continuing our path of buying a home in Michigan, because as humans, we were contemplating if this was the will of God or our own needs of wanting to move.  Funny, how God will put something right in the forefront of our eyes, but we question everything about it.  That is okay, because even in those times He will still continue to guide and direct as He did for us.  Our mortgage buying process was moving along smoothly up until this point and then it came to a halt!!!  That is God gave it a halt!!!  Even afterwards, after we confirmed the rental and signed the contract with my husband’s company, when it was all set in stone and a “for sure” that is when our mortgage company called and said, “I don’t know what happened but things are okay to proceed now. ”   Well, I know what happened——God was halting the process so that we didn’t get conflicting answers.  God is NOT confusing!!  Let me say that again….

GOD IS NOT A CONFUSING GOD.  HE IS A GOD OF PEACE!

If you are praying about things and it is all confusing and you are not sure which which way to go, pray for direction–ask God to close doors that need to be shut and open doors that He wants you to go through.  He will make things clear as to where you are supposed to go.

Isaiah 32:18

My people will abide in a peaceful habitation,
    in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.

Even our last home, which I was at first not thinking I would enjoy, I realized what a HUGE blessing that home was.  We had wonderful neighbors that we had built long lasting relationships with, and we had a large yard that provided a good place to fellowship with others with.  We used it for music practices for church and the yard was used to fellowship with other church families.  This past year, my teenagers used it to hold open mics at our home which provided a time of music, fellowship, and outreach to teenagers in our area.  All these things, God provided for our family.  Because He promises to do that.  Sure at times, I looked around and started complaining inwardly about the situation.  The not -so-nice new things.  I even “coveted” friends homes from time to time.  I know we aren’t supposed to but I did.  But looking back, when I just enjoyed the times I had in our home, it was good.  We had great many get togethers with friends that I will cherish forever.  Our summers of fun, our Christmas parties, and Daddy’s neighborhood slip and slide!!!  Talk about fun!!!
I do remember the selfish side of me, longing for “newer” things.  But instead of complaining to my husband and making him feel poorly about our home situation, I kept it to God.  Even when my husband would start to complain about something, I would immediately not agree with him and focus on the positives of things in the home. God provided me with the tools necessary to help fix up the walls.  He also allowed me to find furnishings for my home that were within our budget.
Psalm 112:3
Wealth and riches shall be in his house
Does God care about your household furnishings??  He sure does!!  But God is good that you won’t have to go in debt getting them.  When I was needing to furnish my home, I just prayed about it.  I didn’t immediately get an answer but I prayed and left it up to God.    Then God started showing.
We had been giving many items over the years from people, upgrading their own.  We are very thankful for those gifts.  They served a good purpose.  With a large family, I realized things did not last like “normal” families.  I prayed for heavy duty and sturdy items.  We were able to find the necessities needed for our home through various resources.  Our couch, we found on Craigslist and no one wanted to pick up this couch because the lady said you would need a moving truck to fit it, because of it’s size.  But God can make it fit into a 15 passenger vehicle because of His “supernatural ability.”  Plus He will give it to you for a cheap price.
Other items we got because we prayed about finding the best one that would last.  He directed us towards purchasing other large items and how to save on those items.  Did we get them all at once?  NO, I waited for almost a year to get benches for my table, but I have them now.
As far as  wall furnishings, I am not too much into that, but I was able to find clearance items at our local stores.  The rest I was able to make for cheap.  They were all things that showed what our family was about—-photos of all of the good times we have.

Proverbs 24:3-4

Through wisdom is a house built; and by understanding it is established: And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

Does God care to help furnish your home?  In Matthew 6:33 its says if you seek ye first the kingdom of God then all these things shall be added unto you.  Now, in America we live in a materialistic society.  I am not believing that God wants us to be living extravagantly while the rest of our “brothers and sisters” in the Lord live in poverty.  But I do not believe that we need to have the mentality that if we have nothing that means we are more godly.  Does that make sense?  I believe if we genuinely try and seek the Lord FIRST and it is your heart’s desire and His will to provide you with a home filled with things then that is wonderful.  But to some, they are happy just having a mud hut with simple furnishings to get through life.  We are ALL created equal but have different lifestyle choices based on where we live in this world.  God can use the man living in a mansion the ability to reach out to His heathen neighbors just as much as God can use the person living in a grass hut the same ability.  We were all made to reach a different group of people.

Proverbs 15:6  The house of the righteous is much treasure….

God wants our homes furnished so that we can invite others into our home and share Jesus as well as make it a haven for our own.

To finish up my testimony of God providing a supernatural home, I can honestly say He has provided more than I thought was possible.  Looking back at our old home, I thank God for all of the people that we had in fellowship at our home.  It served a good purpose and I am thankful for it.  Moving to our current home, we were not able to see it beforehand except for photos.  Coming 700 miles away, there are many things you would like to consider when moving to a new home.  The layout of the land, if it will be child friendly, what are the neighbors like, is the home clean, smelly, have any noticeable issues.  Are there any visible issues that would make you not want it?  Well we couldn’t view any of that, but God could!!  I had to put my complete faith in Him that He would provide a home that would suit our needs.

While driving down here, it was a LONG, exhausting drive!!  We had to go slow with the size of our vehicles, plus mountain driving after a freak snow storm is never good.  But with God’s help we did it!!  The last hour of driving, I was exhausted and I remember praying Lord, please let the arrival to our home be an inviting one.  Make this home be everything that we NEED.  Please do not let it be disappointing.

I can honestly say God did provide.  Our new home is perfect.  It is much larger than I envisioned.  The areas that we needed it to be larger in like closets, kitchen space, and bedroom space were much bigger than I ever thought.  We can honestly fit EVERYTHING comfortably in the living areas of our home.  I have no need to try and “stuff” things in out of place areas because I do not have anywhere for them to go.  God is good like that.  My “desires” were a boys and girls bathroom that was clean.  Large closets and a large kitchen.  Oh and I often prayed for easy to clean hardwood floors.  All these things were added unto us.

Psalm 18:19

He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.

Is this a bold statement?  Yes to some it may be, but for me, I try and seek the Lord as best as I can and He did deliver us to a large expansive place, one that filled our hearts desires.

What about you?  Do you need a larger home?  Maybe you need a home of your own.  You can also pray asking God to provide you your supernatural home as we did.

Here are some verses to look up and pray about God finding YOU your own supernatural home.

2 Samuel 7:27

1 Chronicles 28:19

Psalm 18:19

Psalm 112:3

Proverbs 24:3-4

Proverbs 15:6

Deutoronomy 28:8

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