Brave Day #2: Boxes

Boxes ... I know it sounds crazy, but boxes are my brave move for today!

Thusday night when we had some worship and s'mores at the park, the park was covered in boxes, great, clean, new boxes that some kind of lighting had come out of.  And all of a sudden, I had 10 BCMers breaking down these boxes and loading them in my car so I could use them to pack up my house. 

May seem mundane or even expected ... but this house has been killing me!  And I was not being brave about figuring out the wise thing to do and I was not being brave about actually moving out of it.

I remember buying this house and thinking (naively, apparently) that I would live here forever.  The loan guy asked me, "Do you really think you'll live here more than five years?"  And I thought, well, of course ... unless God moves me, but I think I will stay here forever.  I even got rid of all of my moving boxes ... that was a big thing for me because pretty much before then I had saved them for the next, inevitable move.  I kind of thought that was like Cortez burning the ships to prevent retreat!

Henry Blackaby says you can't stay where you are and move on with God.  And I am realizing the safety and comfort of this sweet little house of mine had become an idol in my life.  One that I have been holdly tightly.  So, loading a bunch of boxes in my car and actually saying out loud, so I can move out of my house ... whew.  Big stuff.

Then I was "home" today and got to go back to River Hills for the first time in a LONG time. 

And the sermon today was on the stress of finances.  Cause really, that is the root of my fears about my house ... what if something happens and I cannot pay to live in two places.  What if I can't sell for ten years?  What if I can never buy another house?  Did you catch the What if?? Because as of today, God has provided all I need.  As a matter of fact, if I am honest, I can even see how He has prepared for this to happen by building up some savings. 

What struck me today was the question, Do we trust the provision of the Provider?  WOW!  Thanks, Chip, for the direct shot to my life?  I am trusting in the provision of my house (I can even remember saying out loud in the process of this job decision that I would not take the job  in Augusta because I was afraid I could not sell my house right now.  Since when did I make decisions based on stuff??) 

This entry would be forever long if I repreached the sermon ... but let me just end with some points that are helping me be brave with those boxes this week:
1. JUST enough is always enough.  Pray for daily bread ... not monthly  bread.  That makes us LIVE in dependence on Him.
2. The power is in the PROVDER, not the provision.
3. Obedience and faithfulness are always linked.  Why would we expect God's faithfulness when we won't give him our obedience?

I'm gonna be brave about moving out of this house I love and the security I feel here.  Radical movements of God are typically preceded by radical steps of faith.

Maybe I'll even start dreaming about the next place I'll live.  Maybe ...