By Jim Day
Hi, everybody! It has been a while since the last God Dots story. Health issues have kinda sidelined me, but hopefully I won’t miss another issue. Life is full of interruptions. Just when you think that everything is humming along…
There is an amazing story that I had been working on, but it will have to wait for a little more info. In the meantime, I really wanted to share with you all that God has been doing with me.
A little over a year ago, a small church in Hazelton, Idaho lost its pastor. I was asked if I could give an encouraging word once a month until they found a new pastor. It’s a small but lovely little church, and the people there love the Lord. They asked me several times if I would be interested in moving there and taking on the position of pastor. I always told them no. I had lots of reasons / excuses. Our family is here in Boise. My wife (Cindy) and I homeschool two of our grandkids. We also care for Cindy’s mom, who has dementia. Our doctors are all here. We have property here.
What I didn’t tell them was that I had tried to be a pastor before and felt like I had a failed. I didn’t think that I wanted to try that again. (Long story, don’t want to share.)
We have been attending Bridgepoint Church in Boise, except when we went to Hazelton. Pastor Jeff Love of Bridgepoint preached a powerful message about the difference between being a “fan” and a “follower.” At the end of the message he asked the congregation, “What is God asking you to do that you may be reluctant or unwilling to do?”
Cindy handed me a piece of paper and a pen and asked me to write down whatever came to mind. I simply wrote, “Hazelton.” As I showed her what I had written, she flipped over her program and, at the top of the page, she had written, “Hazelton.”
We went home and prayed. Really hard!
Not being sure, I asked the Lord to make it very clear to us that He was calling us to Hazelton. The series of events that followed were nothing less than miraculous. He brought people into our lives to help finish all the projects around the home we’ve been living in locally, making quick work of what was left to be done. I thought these projects would be for us, but I came to see they are all for the next folks who will live in the home after we’ve gone.
Cindy came to me and said that she felt God was telling her that we were to start with nothing and allow Him to provide all that was needed. We prayed about that. What did that mean exactly?
A couple of days later, as Cindy was looking online at used furniture, she saw a chair that she really liked. She asked if we could go to Star and look at it. I told her that I was too busy with projects to go look at a chair that we really didn’t need. Of course, I was still thinking that we would move the furniture that we have, and the house in Hazelton is smaller than the house we own here, so there was no room for more.
Cindy scheduled a meeting on a Monday with the lady who had the chair. By Sunday afternoon I was too sore to continue to work on the house projects and needed to take a day off. (I know better than to work on Sunday, but did anyway). Thought I would rest up Monday and recoup a little because I had a procedure on Tuesday for my back. I have bone spurs that aggravate the nerves in my lower back (incredibly painful).
Anyway, long story short, Monday came and I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to go with Cindy to see the chair that we didn’t need and were not going to buy.
When we got there, Cindy loved the chair. Cindy and the lady selling it got to visiting and we told her about going to Hazelton. To our amazement, she had family in Hazelton. Not only that, but she had a connection to Bridgepoint Church as well. Her daughter attends there and has always been active in the church. She said that she felt like she was supposed to be a blessing to us (she didn’t know it, but she already was). She proceeded to give us the bedroom suite that was in her spare bedroom — beautiful wood bed, nightstands and a huge dresser, plus an end table and a lamp that goes with the chair.
Now, I do need to mention here that the furniture that she gave us is nicer than anything we have ever owned. Very nice stuff, really beautiful. We loaded the truck with the things we could and made arrangements to pick up the remainder. As we drove away with a load of fine furnishings, we praised God for the confirmation that we were doing exactly what He is calling us to do. God is calling us to Hazelton. So, we are off on a new adventure with the Lord.
Please pray that the Lord does amazing things in Hazelton. Please pray for blessings for those who are willing to be obedient in the moment (the lady with the chair and any others that you may think of). Please pray that YOU might be obedient to what He is calling you to do. Then ask yourself, “What is God asking me to do that I may be reluctant or unwilling to do?”
God loves you. He wants to be involved in your life. But you have to let Him in.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. — Revelation 3:20 NKJV
In an upcoming issue: the story of Bob and JudyLynn Solberg. Until then, may God bless your socks off (then we will all be barefoot and happy).
It is my goal and wish for this column to be an avenue to share God Dots stories. Tell others about the things that God has done for you. Contact me at [email protected]. Somebody needs to hear your story.
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