Trusting Completely in God

In July 2019 my wife Heather and I moved to Anacortes from Sammamish, WA with our 3 children, Sophia (16), Owen (12) and Della (10).  Our move not only included a change in address, but ultimately a change in career which has taken us on a new adventure while teaching us how to trust in God completely, clinging to His provision and promises.  

Our journey to Anacortes began several years prior and started with a desire I had for something different for myself and our family.  At the time I remember being unsure what this desire really meant as we had been living there for 12 years, in a great neighborhood with great neighbors, friends, schools, job and church.  All was very familiar and comfortable in Sammamish.  Needless to say, it caught me by surprise when I started to recognize a change, a pull to seek out new experiences.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a creature of habit and not one to make quick decisions, especially of this magnitude.  So, I kept quiet for a long time, wrestling with the possibility of what change might look like.  I also kept quiet from God and ignored the possibility that this tug might actually be coming from Him.  I remember thinking to myself, "I got this, it's no big deal, it's just a phase that I'll get over".  Besides, why would I want to disrupt what, up until that point, had been a relatively comfortable life.  I didn't want to admit that I had put God in a box and that I wasn't trusting Him with my future.

I finally approached Heather with the idea of making a change.  At that time, I still had God in a box and approached her based on my desires and not God's.  I remember Heather being surprised but open to the idea but only if it's what God has for us.  She wanted us to be patient and prayerfully seek God's direction in all of this, so wise.  So, we prayed, seeking God's direction, all the while exploring the possibilities of what plans God might have in store.

Fast forward a year, God uniquely placed Anacortes on our hearts and directed us to an incredible piece of property on Gibralter Rd. which far exceeded all expectations.  After some up's and down's God blessed us in many ways through the quick sale of our existing home to the ability of closing on the new house in the middle of a competitive market.  God also went above and beyond by blessing us with a property that, in addition to being a great place to live, provided me with an opportunity to make a career change and carry on a business (Greenfield Farm & Gardens) that had already been established.

We can look back now and see His provision and handiwork through this process, and still, He continues to surprise and bless us as we transition and settle into our new home and business.  He has provided every step of the way, especially during those times when we lost sight and felt hopeless with uncertainty, questioning Him, and second guessing our decisions.  He is faithful and is teaching us to trust completely, in every way, with no strings attached.  Isn't that just the way God works?  He sees far beyond what we can see in our limited vision.  He desires to bless us but draws us close to Him in the process.  We just need to keep our eyes fixed on Him and hang on!  God is the only thing that is for certain and it is with joy that we are experiencing the adventure He currently has us on.
 
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Mike Carlson

2 Comments


Wendy - October 1st, 2020 at 10:21am

Welcome Mike and Heather, and family. I look forward to meeting you. I live just off Gibraltar just down the road. Thanks for trusting God and giving us the opportunity to meet in your lovely barn. Bless you this week!

Maxine Lang - October 6th, 2020 at 3:57pm

Welcome to our little corner of the world that God has blessed us with. I’ve lived in this area since 1955 and so glad. Looking forward to meeting you and your family hopefully sooner than later.