In a short period of a few weeks, my life had turned a hundred and eighty degrees. From a single mother living in the center of a busy city, to a married woman, living in a rural area at a reasonable distance from civilization.
God can turn your whole situation around or turn it for the better in the snap of a finger.
Not that my life before I met my husband at the end of June 2024 was bad, far from it! I had a lovely home, was busy with work, my children, my bible study at Charis Bible College and on top of that I played a lot of sports. In my spare time, I went to many conferences or volunteered at many events where I could serve in God’s Kingdom.
I did all this alone, with God but without a partner and that started to gnaw at me more and more, something I also liked to continuously bring to God’s attention, LOL.
Perhaps God got tired of my “complaining” or He felt sorry for me, either way, His time came to meet my husband, and He caused our paths to cross.
Fast-forward to twenty-four weeks after our first meeting, we stood in church face to face with each other and God and said “YES.” December 15, 2024, we got married!
Life with Jesus; expect the unexpected
God is a ‘master’ of surprises, LOL. Because on June 22, 2024, I cried out to God that I was tired of being alone and 6 days later I met my husband. Typical case of ‘expect the unexpected’.
Although it was and still is amazing and overwhelming, what God has given us with our relationship and our marriage, it was also a bit of a rush to emotionally catch up. For example, a year earlier I had repainted, wallpapered and renovated my house from top to bottom under the guise of “I’ll be living here for the next few years” 😊. That I would hand in the keys, get married and move a year later, I didn’t see coming, so to speak, LOL.
Steps in faith
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27
Everyone who has accepted Jesus hears His voice (John 10:27). 
The trick is not so much hearing His voice, but especially following it.
The trick is not so much hearing His voice, but especially following it.And I think that is something that is sometimes lacking in Christian Netherlands (and beyond, LOL). Although that is precisely where all His blessings and promises are hidden. How is it possible that the vast majority of the church prefers to hold on to the “familiar” rather than dare to step out in faith? Perhaps it is the desperately trying to maintain control over our own lives?
When God led us to our marriage, it was a huge step for both of us, of course. My husband was doubtful that he would ever be able to trust anyone again, enough to get married again after so much pain, misery and disappointments in the past. And although I have always continued to believe in love and marriage, I had also experienced my fair share of miserable relationships and a broken marriage. It was because I experienced God’s voice, peace and guidance so clearly over this relationship that I dared to take steps in faith, even though it remained difficult from time to time.
Yet God showed us over and over again, with confirmations, that it was He who had brought us together and wanted us to take steps toward marriage. The moment the day came that I turned in the keys to my house was one of the biggest steps of faith I had taken in my entire walk with God up to that point.
Over the past few years, I have seen God move in my life and have taken many steps of faith, but this was a different story!
I don’t want to beat my chest or be arrogant because of course it is the Holy Spirit who convinces us, but we have to cooperate with Him and I do believe that you have to be very strong in your faith and in your shoes if you want to leave your home and hearth for someone you have known for barely twenty weeks, LOL. But my trust in God was SO great and without a doubt that made me dare.
“......,Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” – Hebrews 13:5
God is a good Father, He never leaves us alone (Hebrews 13:5), He is our Comforter in times of trouble.
God's loving presence
The day I handed in my key, I looked out of the window of my little house in the city for the last time. I looked to the left one last time and saw the shoppers walking through the shopping streets, people quietly sitting on the terrace and in the distance I saw a barrel organ playing.
Tears filled my eyes and the enemy tried to sow thoughts of fear and doubt, “Are you doing the right thing? This man will soon leave you, and you will no longer have a home, you will be on the street! Are you sure you want this? You will regret leaving this house behind you!”
I looked to the right and from below a bird flew into the street. Strangely enough, I noticed it immediately. It was approaching my house, I looked up, and I saw that it was a white dove! It flew past and disappeared into the shopping street…
Living there for all those years I never saw a white dove fly by, the fact that it happened at that moment and I saw it, showed me that God was there!
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Every step we take, He is with us. Even though He sometimes asks things of us that seem impossible or incomprehensible to us, He is with us to guide us to the next step because behind that step of faith, a blessing is waiting for us!
I want to encourage you; when God has spoken to you to take a step of faith; no matter how strange the step seems, take it anyway! Trust Him, He is your Heavenly Father and His plans for you are good (Jeremiah 29:11).
Behind that step lies another blessing, another open door or a new season waiting for you!
2 thoughts on “Look up!”
Prachtig verwoord sis! God is zo trouw en liefdevol voor ons.
Zie, Ik ga iets nieuws doen, nu zal het ontkiemen. Zult u dat niet weten?
Ja, Ik zal een weg maken in de woestijn, rivieren in de wildernis.
Jesaja 43:19
Amen!! Heel mooi, dank je wel voor deze herinnering aan deze prachtige Bijbeltekst!