So here are a few things that are happening here in OKC…..
Let’s see…..well first let me talk about some things that we have struggled with…….finding friends, connecting with our neighbors and the people on 21street (the street our church has made a year long goal to reach out to….which also happens to be the street we live on) money to pay off our loans and to just “adult” with (doctors appt, dentist appt, debt, getting our own phone lines started….the usual), wanting a baby….. Just to name a few.
I don’t want to seem like I’m complaining because when Colby and I struggle we don’t have to do it alone. We pray.
And then in some amazing way God hears our petitions and answers our call.
So last week we were able to finally make the final payment on Colby’s school loan…..praise God. His provision allowed us to pay off a $4,000 loan in 5 months. We were so amazed at how He worked all that into reality, but then we had to add on another bill. Cell phones. Oh how many of you know the pain of cutting that final tie holding you to your parents haha. So we knew we were going to have to buy phones. Then somehow, I managed to schedule two dentist appointments and one dreaded doctors appointment for me and the hubs all in the month of May. Plus we scheduled a lunch and dinner date with some people from our church. Needless to say money was starting to look a little tight for the end of the month. So I did what I always do. I wrote out all my worries into my prayer journal…. I didn’t just only complain, but I also gave thanks because God was already so clearly at work answering our needs of friends, repaying debt, sending me someone to disciple, providing Colby with a job with insurance benefits, and so much more.
Philippians 4:6 says Don’t worry about anything instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He’s done.
That very same day God showed Himself once more to us. The day before I was out in a walk with little, baby Theo 😍 and on 21st street someone had thrown out some nice doors. Well I text Colby and said we should grab them up and see if they would fit on our house. Well we took the better looking of the two doors only to find out that it was about an inch too big for our frame. So we just leaned it against the house and left it. Well I got home from work and Colby asked what I wanted to do with the door. I was still a little grumpy about money and I was like just throw it out. I didn’t feel like cutting it and fooling with it. Then he was like well guess what, someone wants to buy it! I was like are you serious???
So we sold a door that we got for FREE to get this…..a guy on 21st street. Now I know what you’re thinking, “isn’t that where you got the door?” Yes! So that was crazy, but God allowed us to make a connection with one of our neighbors AND allowed us to make a little extra money. He is so AMAZING and ALWAYS right on time. I don’t know why I even bother with worrying.
Then this weekend we got a chance to experience something amazing. Yesterday Northwest (our church) got to host a Big Daddy Weave, Jason Gray, Citizen’s Way, and Lauren Daigle CONCERT. At first we are kind of annoyed because Colby’s job at the church means that he would be working there ALL day setting up and cleaning up looooong after this gig. That meant that I would be there too. You know what is great about the “church” (body of believers, not the building)though? Everyone shows up and they serve and I mean they serve hard and long , just like they’re working for Jesus Christ Himself.
Sometimes I get so grumpy about being in Oklahoma. I would rather be in Ga with my family and my old friends. Sometimes we complain about Colby’s job because it is hard and exhausting. Then sometimes God shows up right in the middle of our complaints and shows me how BLESSED we are. If we were still in Ga I would have never gotten to meet the band and have the pleasure of helping them set up and WORSHIP God in a beautiful way. If we were still in Ga I would have never been able to go and work alongside my husband and help him get his job done. If we were still in Ga I wouldn’t have met all the HILARIOUS people and friends that we are slowly starting to make here.
In the middle of that concert God told me something. He told me that the plans He has for my life are more marvelous than anything I could ever miss or long for. He told me to open my eyes and look around. Yesterday I got to do things that people pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars to do (meeting bands and such). God let us do it for free. Then a couple months before that we got to listen to David Platt live. If we were on Ga we would still be watching him on a screen. (For those of you who don’t know why that is significant read Radical. It’s the reason we are in Oklahoma and he wrote it!)
The point is this…
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you” declare the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
As for our other struggles both present and future, here in Oklahoma or wherever God decides to take us, I can have peace knowing that He has gone before me and prepared a way. And not just any way, the BEST way.
Isaiah 41:13 For I hold you by your right hand– I, the Lord your God. And I say to you, “Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.”
ashleynicolemoore.com 