Job security. Not many people have it. Though Dan and
I have walked through many tragedies and hardships, losing a job was
not something we had ever had to deal with. Dan began his career with
Texas Instruments right out of college and remained there for 21 years-
that is until June of this year. On Monday after Father's Day Dan left
his career of 21 years and stepped into a sabbatical from corporate
America.
The last several months have been a time of discovery and rest for him. But as we entered the month of October, we knew that God was ready to start focusing us and pointing us toward what He has next. I use the word "Us" because that is how we've approached this. That's how we approach everything as a couple. As a result, I found myself completely caught off guard at what God said to me. A few weeks ago, Dan took me out on a wonderful date. After dinner, we sat together next to a lovely fountain of water and talked for a long time. As Dan was sharing his heart with me I very clearly heard God say, "I don't want you to ask me for direction or vision any more. I simply want you to pray for Dan. I'll give direction and vision to him. When you hear from him, you will hear from me. You can trust him."
Um, okay- or maybe not. Wouldn't it be better if God spoke to both of us? That way I could confirm for Dan that he is indeed hearing from God. Sounds like a great argument, but in the end I knew I wasn't convincing God of anything. My reasoning wasn't driven by wisdom, it was driven by fear. Dan needs to hear from God himself. He doesn't need me to convince him that he's heard God. As for me, I'm being asked to stretch my trust muscles. I wrestled with this for a couple of weeks and then God, being the gentle and loving Dad that He is, reminded me that Dan has a stellar track record. He walked me through all the times in our 23 years of marriage that Dan heard His voice. There were several instances where I doubted at first but relented and followed Dan. There isn't a single instance I can think of where I was sorry that I trusted Dan and followed him.
So does this mean I'm trusting a man instead of God? The answer is a resounding NO. The only reason I can trust Dan is because I know that he trusts God. I can trust Dan because I know who he trusts.
The last several months have been a time of discovery and rest for him. But as we entered the month of October, we knew that God was ready to start focusing us and pointing us toward what He has next. I use the word "Us" because that is how we've approached this. That's how we approach everything as a couple. As a result, I found myself completely caught off guard at what God said to me. A few weeks ago, Dan took me out on a wonderful date. After dinner, we sat together next to a lovely fountain of water and talked for a long time. As Dan was sharing his heart with me I very clearly heard God say, "I don't want you to ask me for direction or vision any more. I simply want you to pray for Dan. I'll give direction and vision to him. When you hear from him, you will hear from me. You can trust him."
Um, okay- or maybe not. Wouldn't it be better if God spoke to both of us? That way I could confirm for Dan that he is indeed hearing from God. Sounds like a great argument, but in the end I knew I wasn't convincing God of anything. My reasoning wasn't driven by wisdom, it was driven by fear. Dan needs to hear from God himself. He doesn't need me to convince him that he's heard God. As for me, I'm being asked to stretch my trust muscles. I wrestled with this for a couple of weeks and then God, being the gentle and loving Dad that He is, reminded me that Dan has a stellar track record. He walked me through all the times in our 23 years of marriage that Dan heard His voice. There were several instances where I doubted at first but relented and followed Dan. There isn't a single instance I can think of where I was sorry that I trusted Dan and followed him.
So does this mean I'm trusting a man instead of God? The answer is a resounding NO. The only reason I can trust Dan is because I know that he trusts God. I can trust Dan because I know who he trusts.
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