There have been times in my life when I have really set my heart on something. Sometimes it was something as small as a place I wanted to go or something I wanted to have. There have been other times when my wants have been bigger; a move to a ministry in another state, or a certain vehicle when we were in the market for a car.
When I decide that I want something, I tend to latch on to it and let it consume my thoughts. I think about why I should have it and all of the wonderful things that would come from my obtaining it. I wish I could say that my desires have always been exactly what God wanted for me. The truth is, however, that especially when it comes to material things, my desires are often not God’s desires.
When my husband and I were making the move to Minnesota, we were in the market for a house. We found one that I really liked. It was an older home, but it had four bedrooms and nice updates. We put in an offer and waited for our financing to go through. While we were waiting, another person put in an offer on the same house. Her financing was ready to go and so we backed out and lost that house. I was really disappointed about it because I had set my heart on that house and was determined that it would be the perfect one for us.
As it turned out, we bought the house that was next door to the first house. It was much more affordable and had a much larger lot where I could have a garden. There was also a generous yard in which my children could play. It had beautiful trees and landscaping that the first house did not. It also was in need of many improvements that we did for a relatively small amount of money that considerably raised the value.
This is not intended to be a how-to guide on purchasing a home, but rather a much more valuable lesson: Sometimes what I want is not what God wants. Sometimes I may be disappointed when I don’t “get my way”, but God always has a plan and occasionally He will show me what it is. The situation with our house is a wonderful example because God showed in so many ways that the original house, that I wanted so badly, was not His best for us. Thankfully, He did not allow us to buy it anyway and live with our mistake. Instead, He sent someone else along to buy it so that we could have something better. Not only that, but we have become good friends with our neighbor and have been able to share the Gospel with her.
I am learning that when things don’t happen the way I think they should, God is at work giving me something better. I claim Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God…”
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