Sometime close to this time last year, we set out to move.  Moving for our sweet Mia.  Looking for a smaller school district to better serve her.  

I did lots of research and calling lots of principals directly.  I found a couple of districts that were just so excited to welcome us in.  I concentrated my efforts on those two areas.

And so began the battle of my plans vs His…

Our house didn’t sell in the 1 month I laid out.  It was graduation time and I got all sentimental about this being the house that my son had grown up in, yada yada… but watching a friend struggle with her son, who has down syndrome in our school we are zoned for, over the next few months made it obvious we needed to keep looking.

In between that time, where we pulled off the market and we decided to go back on, a couple of things began stirring in my heart and I want to share that with you today.

So, grab a cup of coffee or whatever it’s a long one…

My life is all about my Faith in Jesus, my family, and making sure to “Honor God All Day Every Day”… we say it at the end of every prayer and we try to live out Ephesians 3:20 to the best of our abilities…

I am not an avid reader.  Like at all.. I love my quiet time and love bible studies that interact with me and make me have a pen and paper and have to connect to the Word.  But reading… I am adhd and lists start being made and everything else like wall colors being changed.  You get the idea.  We were headed out on a road trip, I had ordered Interrupted by Jen Hatmaker and brought it along.  Which was kind of funny because I get motion sick when reading in the car.  But we’ll give it a try.  Friends I read the whole book in one sitting.  It was a book where I was sitting with a friend, who was telling me everything that was stirring in my heart.  I had found my people right there in her!!  This book wrecked my poor little heart and world and it wasn’t something you could not unsee, unread, or undue what was about to happen.  Read this book!! It will ignite a fire in your heart!

And when your heart is wrecked- you better be sure your husband is on board.  So, I drove the whole way home and made him read the book too!!

 

So in preparation of the stirring in my heart, I painted out the bedrooms all neutral {we were going to sell this house} and began praying.  Praying Praying.  I was in the middle of God beginning to grow my heart to be closer to his.  I had no idea how, but I could feel it coming.  And in times like this for me, it often takes a long time.  He has to be gentle because I am stubborn or just not always attentive to his nudging.

So I want to take a moment to do a little side work… When you ask God to “break your heart for what breaks His.. Open up your eyes to the things unseen. Show you how to love like he loves you”… Be prepared.  God has always used music and other people to talk to me.  He knows that my own way, my own thoughts and the need to control my own circumstances INDEED get in my own way!! Often songs will repeat over and over and he’s using it to get me to stop and listen and then dig into his Word to find more.

“Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalms 37:4  This verse sits upon a painted door with a chalkboard inset.  I had it in my kitchen prior to going on the market.  I love seeing that verse.  But I think most often, we forget that this isn’t an ATM verse where we pray and receive.  The more we are seeking our precious father, delving into the Word that he gives us, seeking his will and his way… it becomes the desire of our own heart.  He is there to transform us from the inside out.  So often I am needed to be reminded. Often, multiple times in a day, that His ways are so much great than my own.  Even when I have dreams that are big and great… it may not fall in line with how he wants to use me.  And friends, our greatest gift to ourselves is to be wrecked and used by the LORD.

“The one who obey’s God’s instruction for today will develop a keen awareness for His direction tomorrow.” from The Best Yes  by Lysa TerKeurst

 

So this stirring in my heart… we are on the market and we aren’t finding a house in those 2 areas.  My house hasn’t sold- there was no reason for it not to sell, but I was okay because we didn’t know where we were going.  And a dear friend said to me… “Quit looking at the rankings of the schools. A smaller district will serve her well.” It’s Christmas time.  Schools are closed and if I find a house, how will I know what the schools are like?  Praying for God to just guide us.  We have been under constant battle.  Sickness, aching of the heart over our daughter, and Norah.  God are you telling us to stay and just give this up?? I struggled with it.  I knew this move was surely not selfish.  I was praying and praying and this house showed up in our search when I went outside the box. The “my comfortable” box.

 

And yes friends, it’s beautiful.  But it was in an area I wasn’t looking.  Small area, so much different than where we are.  McKinney is beautiful. But it is so big. It is full of wonderful schools and wonderful shopping… But it’s an affluent area, that for me, is not where I want to be anymore.  It was a prayer I had began praying, long before I read Interrupted.  “Lord, help us find a place where we can serve you.  Where our Best Yes is to slow down, serve and love your people.  We want to be the LOVE to a community.  Somewhere our kids could learn the appreciation of a dollar.  Learn that working hard is a necessity for life.  And somewhere, we could be used for His greater purpose and glory.”  I remember our old pastor saying one time… “if everyone on your street is a Christian or goes to your church.. it’s time to move on.  Your immediate need has been met.”  We are called to share his Love.  That stirring was so deep in me.  But totally out of my comfort zone.  And don’t you know that when you are being called, it’s often outside of you, your comfort, or where you planned.  But I believe wholeheartedly, that Blessings are on the other side of Obedience.  So, we had laid our Yes on the table- wherever that was.

That obedience, has been a hard one for me.  I have grown this love, therapy, and business of mine to a place that he continually allows our family to share his love.  I know that my prayers for provision mean more work- and I love that.  I love that my gifts and talents are being used to serve others. I love that having this blog that brings people to see beautiful furniture also allows me share how God is faithful.  And with that you get “The Rest of ME Faithfully”.  I can’t be who I am without sharing who He is in Me and through Me.

The faith and trust continued for a long time waiting on our house to sell.  We switched agents thinking that was it… We finally knew where we were going but our house wasn’t selling.  A friend said “I would be checking in with God’s will, if I were you- it may be time to give up.” Acckkk.  No, there was no peace in me to give up.  I knew this was where he wanted us.  Our agent said, “I know you are believers. I was praying and I hate to say this but God may just be saving your house for the perfect people.” And when we were expecting a different offer, he brought us one we weren’t expecting… They are coming from Seattle.  5 years ago this became our home. We moved here from Seattle.  OH HIS HANDS are on EVERYTHING, my friends.  HIS timing has never been my own. I trust that he’s shaking his head at me saying, “Lori dear sweet impatient Lori… trust me with all things.  Including timing.” {firm and loving voice of course- but mostly firm and emphatically shaking of the head}

This house sits in the heart of town.  We are just on a city street with about 3.5- 4 acres surrounding us.  I did a drive by it myself because it was an hour away.  It was something I needed to see for myself.  I want to be 100% transparent because I want you to know that God was strengthening my faith through the trials we were going through.. and Growing it Bigger for where he was planning to take us.  Where this house sat was crucial to my stirring. It was the house that God had saved for us.  It was exactly where he wanted us.  I could see community BBQ’s in the backyard watching movies with all the kids in a mile radius from us… Why?

 

To the back of our brush, down the street to the left, and across from it… there are 3 housing authorities.  “Love the least of thee”… it’s not about being superior, it’s about Love.  When we adopted Mia… this was about Love… we have always had a heart to give and share love Bigger than ourselves.  The other houses we had found.. they were in smaller districts, but they were just tiny McKinney’s.  That isn’t who we are.  I thought our agent was going to flip when I told her I wanted a showing for this house.  This was my Hatmaker House.  This was letting God use us for His glory and honor.  Every time I tell someone where we are going- I get that look.  It makes me so happy.  It lets me know, that God is absolutely putting us right where he wants us.

This is my opportunity to be Living So That… Oh friends, if you haven’t done that study, please do.  It helped through all the pain we have been through in the past months and brought JOY to the other side.  This study I started in November/December and just ended.  Can I tell you that it has brought forth all that was stirring- or as she calls it “pricking” at my heart, and shown me that God is so good.  Especially when we align our hearts with his.  It was as if he was holding me this whole time- allowing me to hold onto his promises.

As I am beginning a study on Nehemiah, and he was touched on in my previous study, and several times over the last few months… there is no coincidence in that.  Remember I told you God uses others to bring me his truth that I need.  I love that he was persistent in prayer. {And the timing of his prayer was of no coincidence either.  I read that he began in the month of Kislev which is November/December and before he went to the king he was still in prayer in the month of Nisan which was March/April}  He had such a broken heart for his people.  God uses that for Good.  There is a sentence within a verse that I cling to most in reading through his chapter… “I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart.” Nehemiah 2:11-12 I love that.  I let my husband read that book long ago, but not until we found that house and I literally felt the Lord hug me when I sat in front of it- did I share with him the stirring that was laid on my heart.  I remember sharing it with my dear friend- making sure I wasn’t crazy.  God places good people in your life to be sure your crazy is Good!!

I want to encourage you to keep praying.  Keep believing that God can do anything. Far more than we could ever guess or request in our wildest dreams.  He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. {Ephesians 3:20 the MSG}

Encourage you to be the light for someone.  You don’t have to be pushy.  God shines best when we are authentic and truly living so that, he can shine brightly and be that spark.

Thank you for coming by and if you made this long… I just love and adore you.  I will have beautiful furniture to share with you tomorrow!!