Problems and Promises

Before we moved to Kentucky, I stumbled upon a message from a Christian podcaster and author named Susie Larson who talked about occupying our “Promised Land.” In her video, she mentioned how Abraham went to the promised land as a foreigner and how it took faith for him to live there as such. 

As I listened to her message just weeks away from our own move, I tucked away her message in my mind and the lingering idea that we may very well have our own challenges upon arriving to a new state.  I would soon realize just how true that was.

We left Uvalde, Texas on May 30th a little before 6 a.m. in the middle of our first trial. Our youngest son was on antibiotics for an ear infection and was barely eating because his mouth also hurt. Listening to his occasional cries of pain as I drove was heartbreaking, and trying to coordinate times to give him his antibiotics and painkillers was a bit tricky too. Nonetheless, we made it through that first day and finally settled into a hotel room for the night a little past seven.

By 9 p.m., we were ready to sleep when the smoke detector began to chirp. After I located the only hotel staff member on site, both she and JJ tried to resolve the issue, but it continued to sound despite new batteries. So, we were finally transferred to another room and got to bed around 11 that night.

The next day, we got a later start and made it to our next hotel with no issues around five. CJ was also feeling much better. But just as we were settling down for the night, he threw up on the bed, resulting in several trips downstairs to obtain fresh bedding from the front desk. Fortunately, he slept through the night and seemed to be just fine by the next day. 

The third day was to be our shortest drive, and I was looking forward to a relatively stress-free day. Twenty minutes in, however, it started to rain and didn’t let up the entire journey. At times, the downpour was so bad that I could barely see. 

I would later discover that both JJ and I were thinking the same thing as we made that final leg of the journey. We were convinced by now that we were facing spiritual warfare.

The rain stopped shortly after we arrived to our beautiful, new apartment, and JJ and I moved our stuff into the place as Liam watched CJ in our bedroom, the smoke detector incessantly chirping the whole time. 

An hour or so later, the maintenance man fixed the smoke detector, fortunately. Unfortunately, it would randomly go off six times within the first two weeks of living here. The last incident we’ve experienced so far was on Sunday morning, and it went off four times in a row, waking the whole family (Is it a coincidence that we found the church we plan to attend here later that day? I think not!).

In between these last two weeks, we’ve also experienced frustration as we’ve stood in long lines to get new drivers licenses and to deal with car registration, only to walk away empty-handed and with the knowledge that we’ll have to try all over again.

Although most of these issues have been minor inconveniences that have been especially disheartening due to being newcomers in a relatively unfamiliar place, we’ve also faced some greater challenges more recently. 

Last weekend, the toe that CJ ran over with his tricycle in the spring started hurting again after he accidentally stepped on it, and I ended up having to have the nail removed on Monday, which has caused me a lot of pain. And just as the pain was beginning to subside, CJ jumped off his bed yesterday and sprained his foot. 

I’d be lying to suggest that I haven’t been discouraged by all of these things. Lately, I’ve been praying for God’s protection and no more harm to my family or me.

And yet, in the midst of all these hardships here, I still believe God has called us to this place. I still believe He has a good future for us here. And I’m still holding onto the verse that Susie Larson included in her video weeks ago and that was scrawled upon a stone that an older gentleman gave me at church earlier this year, that “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬b NKJV‬‬).

I pray that we grow in our love for God and know Him deeper through this season as we watch Him work on our behalf and for His glory, seeing Him do what no eye has seen and holding onto the promise in Romans 8.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”

Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭CSB‬‬