UNPRECEDENTED

Click HERE if you missed Part 6 of Kelsey’s Story: “Fascinated With The Wrapping Paper”

More Than You Can Think or Imagine

These last few months in Washington have been a sweet time of preparation for California and for what is to come after. I feel like I’m just along for the ride. I love telling people, “I’ve done nothing to make any of this happen!” God is the instigator of it all. My role has been to wait on Him, be still, and press in to Him. I love that when I get out of the way, God is able to do what He does best: love intentionally.

God is the instigator of it all. My role has been to wait on Him, be still, and press in to Him.

I don’t know a lot about vehicles. But I do know I like driving manuals and I like Mazdas. I went into car shopping with a very open mind. After all, this car really was being gifted to me. (Remember, we’re aiming to always operate out of humility and gratitude.) We had a very practical budget to work with, but my stepdad knows how to find the diamond in the rough… and he has connections. We headed out to his buddy’s dealership on a Friday morning and gave ourselves a pep talk, “Okay, it’s not likely there will be anything here in our price range, but it’s still worth the visit.”

As soon as his buddy (the owner) greeted us, he immediately asked, “How do you feel about manuals?” I shot a look at my stepdad who was already smiling because he knew this just got a whole lot more interesting. “I love manuals!” I replied in excited anticipation. We looked at some of their new vehicles (totally out of our price range). Then he advised that they had a trade-in come in just the night before, and that we could take a look.

They pulled the car up. It was green (my favorite color). It was a Mazda. It was a manual. We took her for a drive and there wasn’t a hiccup in the transmission. We felt really good about the test drive and about the car. As we brought her back to the lot, my stepdad asked his buddy, “How much are you thinking?”

The owner started with an initial price, added on the cost of registration and taxes… and then he stopped talking. I shot a second look at my stepdad, this time it was a look of confusion. Why did he just stop talking? That can’t be the total cost! That is way too low! My heart might have skipped a beat but my stepdad’s didn’t. He extended his hand to seal the deal. The price of the car was a few hundred dollars less than the amount Becca’s parents had gifted to me. My car was paid in full with leftovers.

If this episode with the car wasn’t enough, the Lord was about to overwhelm me with His provision in another area of my life. My decision to move to Washington was based only on God’s instruction, and I still was not sure where I would be living or working. This ushered in yet another opportunity for me to believe that, since God told me I was going to Washington, God was going to provide for my needs once I got there. Upon my arrival, some family friends opened up their home to me and, within a month of living there, said I didn’t need to pay rent anymore because their bills hadn’t gone up and they wanted to support my upcoming time in Sacramento in this way.

This ushered in yet another opportunity for me to believe that, since God told me I was going to Washington, God was going to provide for my needs once I got there.

My work in Washington evolved into three part-time jobs: watching my sister, working at my stepdad’s auto shop as their Community Relations Coordinator, and working at my church as the Admin to the Care Ministries. I was given sweet bonding time with my five year old sister, the utilization of my passions to enhance partnership for the betterment of the community, and a behind-the-scenes look at how a church operates. I couldn’t or wouldn’t have thought up these jobs for me in this season, but they are life-giving and on purpose – there is no denying that!

I shortchange God way more than I should. I can let the lies,  fear, and past experiences sometimes have a greater impact on my future than the One who made my future, is already in my future, and is a lamp to light the steps I will take into my future. The Lord has intentionally planned each one of my steps, leading me to a place that is more than I could ever think or imagine. My favorite verse sums up this journey quite perfectly (Romans 12:12):

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 

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