"THE TRUTH IS... God Is Up To Something... I never cease to be amazed at the way God moves. Often it is unexpected, always it is a smooth transition. When God speaks, one does not have to labor to make a thing happen. When God drives the vehicle there are no wrong turns unless we deliberately wander off the path He has put us on. It was so in January 2005 when He whispered to my spirit, "Be out of Maryland by June the first." I waited for confirmation. I said nothing to anyone. Three days later two neighbors were sitting in my living room having coffee. I casually mentioned, "I am considering a move." Immediately and without the blink of a hesitation one of my neighbors replied, "If you are going to sell your condominium, I will buy it." It was that quick, and that simple because God was at the controls... I did not have to deal with a realtor or pay a realty fee. We drew up our own contract and settled things with the bank. It was all perfectly legal and well done in short order. Meanwhile I had come to Virginia to find new quarters for myself. Satisfied I was doing what God said to do, satisfied that I was looking to settle down in the right place, and satisfied I was purchasing the home He had waiting for me, I moved in April and settled down. I soon became acquainted with a few of my new neighbors but, having been deprived of gardening in the fifteen years I lived in the condo, I didn't visit much, instead I relished the little yard I now had and the chance to grow flowers to my hearts content. There was a lot of work to do and I had to be about the business of doing it. The neighbor on one side of me was a widowed gentleman who was a visiting preacher to the many churches in the county. We became friends in the faith - as brother and sister in the Lord, and in time, just friends in the neighborhood. We had our separate assignments from the Lord and we moved separately in the directions we were given. But we also shared our concerns about the times not too far ahead... Then one day James decided to buy a house about thirty miles away. He sold his home here and moved to the larger home, thinking it was what he was supposed to do. That was three years ago. Then suddenly this summer my elderly neighbors on the other side of me decided to sell their home and move in with their daughter. It was for sale several weeks with no bite then, suddenly, without warning, the Lord told me to call James and tell him this particular residence was for sale. I did. And the response was just as sudden - just as without warning. That same morning the Lord had told James to prepare to make another move. Listening to the radio that morning, James heard a local announcement that a new pastor was moving to town with a large family and was looking for a large house to move them to. James, in immediate obedience to the Holy Spirit, picked up his telephone and offered to show his house. Looking back to the time James bought and moved into that house, one might think James missed God. After all he was only there three years. But looking through the lens of the spirit today I can see he did not miss God - indeed - he was right on target... The pastor looked at James' house and grabbed it. James came to look at the smaller home next door and grabbed it. You see, God knew three years ago he was going to send that pastor to that town for perhaps the rest of his life, and he would need a large home for his family. Large homes are not always available when it is time to move so God had James to buy and hold that home until God was ready for him to release it to the pastor. When the home next door became available at the same time, I was praying that God would send Christian neighbors or even one Christian neighbor to live there. I had not yet thought of James until a week later when the Lord brought him to my remembrance. James had once said he would like to come back to this neighborhood some day, and I remembered that. Well, all is said and done. James is in the process of moving in next door and the pastor is in the process of moving into James' big house. James is content to be moving into smaller quarters - easier for a senior citizen to manage... Today he stepped in for a few minutes to borrow a broom to sweep the snow away from his new door. He brought me a #10 can of cheddar cheese for my stock - I was thrilled. And while I was saying, "I will add it to my stock," he grimaced with the confession that he too had so many cans of stock he didn't know where he would put it. You see, James and I know the times ahead are going to be rough for a lot of people, and we both know God has had us preparing to help the helpless when that time comes. We know we will be working together to feed the hungry and though we knew it before James moved away - and wondered about that while he was away - he is back now and everything appears to be in readiness. It is a wonderful thing to trust the Lord and to know He is so very faithful to His own Word to His children. Whatever He has told you, whatever it looks like today, remember this, He can change things in a flash, in less than 24 hours he can turn things around and reset the clock and the journey. Today I am very sure, God is up to something...and it must be something we could never have done without Him... Joan Krempel 2-17-10 joan@joankrempelministries.com
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