As we arrived from our weekend visit, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the check that was given to me by a person who was there for the service. The amount of the check was the exact amount it cost to repair the van for our trip. I smiled as tears flowed. My wife looked at me quizzically. I showed her the amount and she joined me in tears of joy as we together thanked God for His gracious mercy. A project loomed ahead of me at our home in eastern, Illinois. I was taking a break from traveling to do the remodel of two rooms badly in need of updating.
I had enjoyed doing the remodel of our bedroom. I was looking forward to sleeping in a "brand-new" room. For now, we were expecting a visitor. As the sun set on a brisk late February evening, I was grilling pork chops when a grey-haired gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard that framed his kind eyes and gentle smile pulled into the driveway. I wiped the sweat from the palm of my hands on the grill rag and introduced myself to him. We had only met by phone, this was the first time we met in person. He was coming to meet us. To see us. To know us. To see if Belleview was in fact God's will, he was the superintendent of the regional conference that expanded across several states and included Belleview. We enjoyed the fellowship, the laughter, and the presence of the Spirit into the later hours of the evening. We prayed and shook hands and watched him as he slowly departed out of the driveway. My arms around my wife, my thoughts immediately went to the second room project that awaited me.
All was quiet, for several days as I worked day and night on the remodel of the much larger room. It was the room that we designated as the children's playroom. I woke up on a Saturday morning in early March. My Saturdays have recently been spent helping a local church with the construction of their new building. It has provided me much encouragement as I have spent the Saturdays talking with the pastor and the men of the church in blessed fellowship. Sorting through the mail at the post office before going to the construction site, an envelope addressed to me caught my attention. As I sat in my truck, I opened the letter from Minneapolis. What I read brought tears to my eyes. Instead of going to the church construction site, I went home. I hugged my wife tightly to me. She looked at me quizzically again. This was becoming a pattern of late. I showed her the letter. Here eyes opened wide. Her mouth dropped. Immediately, in humility and awe, we prayed. We read and re-read the letter of invitation to serve in the pastorate of Belleview Community Church. They were hoping that I could be present for the installation service in three weeks. They were also hoping that we could be moved in by the end of the month. It was a tall task. It was in the hands of God to make the task possible. I had a room to finish. We had items to pack. We had a decision to make concerning the house. So many things, but we were in the hands of God. I shared the news with the pastor and the men at the construction site. In a Spirit of rejoicing, we hugged and prayed and laughed and cried. God has opened a door and now we must walk through to see how far he would take us.
That evening, as we sat at the dinner table, my wife and I held hands as we prayed the blessing over the food. When I closed the blessing, she squeezed my hand tightly but did not let go. I looked into her eyes. Her face glowing with excitement, anticipation, and fear all at the same time said to me, "I told you God was going to lead us to Belleview". My mind reflected on that February Sunday afternoon as we departed from Belleview the words that she shared with me. Before she let go of my hand, the reality began to sink in as we pondered the task before us in the days ahead. As the corner of her eyes watered, she said, "Now it is up to God to take care of the obstacles".
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