Giving God Your Unexpected

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25–26 ESV)

You know those times when surprising or unsettling news smacks you in the face? We’re a military family, so you’d think that happens to us quite often. Really, though, none of the news that typically comes with being in the military—deployments, moves, last-minute travel for the active-duty person—takes me by surprise. All that fits into the expectedly unexpected category, and my heart has had some practice handling that in the last twelve years.

Last week we received a call from a lady at the company we rent our house through. She informed me that the homeowners would like to put the house on the market when our lease is up. I just stood there in the kitchen, feeling more than a bit shocked. We had planned on renewing our lease. We’re having a baby in six weeks! Moving when my belly sticks out so far I can no longer see my feet was not in the plan. This not-military-related craziness took me more by surprise than anything we’ve experienced in the military.

And laughing, God said, You’re gonna have to trust me.

I felt shocked, but I didn’t cry or yell or rail at the injustice of it all. Really, the homeowner has this right. They were never obligated to rent to us more than the twelve months we signed up for. We were just hoping to stay longer. However, they’ve given us more than the thirty days they’re obligated to give, which is a huge blessing. If we’re able to be out of the house sooner than the end of our lease, our rent will be prorated. I even asked if they would mind giving us an extra month in the event we have a tough time finding something right for us, and they said yes!

And I trust God more and thank him for these little blessings.

We’ve been looking for about a week now, but you can’t just run over to a house and peek. Appointments must be made, and sometimes people don’t call you right back. Hubs and I decided to call the realtor who helped us when we first moved here, and she’s been such a blessing. But we haven’t found the right place on the first go-round of houses we looked at with her.

I feel the Lord saying, Wait. Be patient. But waiting is hard, and at times I do feel impatient.

In the waiting, though, I feel him also saying, Find something to be thankful for in all this. Find the fun. Find your joy. Let your kids see you trusting me with this and let their faith be built up. So I pray each night over the situation, and I thank God he is in it, even when we’ve looked at a bunch of houses without finding “the one.” I thank him that we have options, even if they’re not the exact ones we would give ourselves. I decided to be intent on looking for his hand in every detail of this process.

He is good, and once again he will show me that is true, even in this crazy time.

Scripture for Reflection

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5–6 NIV)

In you our ancestors put their trust; they trusted you and you delivered them. (Psalm 22:4 NIV)

Reach for More

Has God seen you through hard times or surprises you weren’t prepared for in the past? Make a list of those times to remind yourself that he has already been faithful. Then make a list of the things you can be thankful for in your current circumstances to remind yourself that God is in the details of your life, and when you look for him, you will see him.

Take time each day to pray specifically about whatever crazy circumstances you’re in. Ask God to show you his hand and provision. Ask him to remind you that he is present, and to show you Scripture you can hold on to or a song to remind you of him or allow you to sing his praises.

Carla Clemens enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and one daughter. A baby and two preschoolers interrupt her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.