How Furniture Taught Me About Faithfulness

Last week I got this crazy idea that it was time to rearrange some things in my house. Maybe it had to do with wanting to create a writing nook. Maybe it had to do with wanting a quiet corner without the clutter. Maybe it had to do with the boys wanting space to set out wrestling mats…(in the house?!) Or maybe, just maybe, it was because there was a certain dining set that had just gotten marked down at Costco.

Okay, I admit it was probably ALL of those things. So the afternoon I saw the price drop on the dining set I’d had my eye on for a couple of months, I set out to make some space. But here was the hang up: we wouldn’t be able to pick up the set until the weekend. And for those of you who know how Costco markdowns work, I was living on a prayer that the set would still be there come Saturday afternoon.

Let me just tell you that for two days, my mind went into crazy mode.

The “If it’s in God’s Plan…” Mindset

So, if I was going to survive the next couple of days without driving myself crazy as to whether or not the set would still be there when we went back, I had to adopt the “If it’s in God’s plan, it will be there” mindset.

Really? What if I move EVERYTHING and it’s gone? Do I move it back? Do we have a backup plan? Will we still get another dining set? But that one is THE ONE. It made my heart warm. I could see our family using it, loving it, for years!

As silly as it sounds, I think this was the perfect picture of how we can live out our faith in everyday life.

We are not called to simply wait for God to move things for us. We can fervently pray with all our might, but those dishes will not wash themselves, and that broken arm will not heal overnight. BUT, He can and will give you the strength to move through the hard parts to reach the goodness He has in store for you.

Ah, but we get so hung up on the end result that sometimes we forget how GOOD the process is….

Blessings are Most Often Found in the Process

I have to admit, the whole buying a new dining set had not been on my mind until fairly recently until that particular table caught my eye as we jetted down the aisle aiming towards the free samples. (C’mon, with three growing kids, Costco samples are a must! And somehow we always seem to time our visits after I pick the kids up from school….)

I saw the rich, darkness of the wood, the comfortable counter-high chairs, the perfect dimensions to fit in our dining nook with room for expansion if needed…and hold up. Six chairs?!  Whaaat? Tables this size are almost always only four chairs. There’s enough for all of us, AND we get to invite a friend! I was SO sold! …until I looked at the price tag and realized it was all just a dream when I saw the five 9’s in a row. Sigh. For the next three months, I’d pass by that beautiful table once or twice a week, just to say hi. I looked at our monthly budget to see if maybe we could save some money here and there to put towards the set. And God, He worked on my patience, my discipline, and my heart behind why I wanted this dining set so badly – making sure my intentions were good, and for His good.

And then last week, I noticed the .97 at the end of the price tag. Here’s a Costco tip, my friend. If there’s a .97 at the end of the price, it’s on CLEARANCE! I looked over at the preceding numbers and …WHAAAAT?… the price had dropped significantly! Now’s the time!

So fast forward to present time. Money has been scrounged up: Costco rebate (check!), Costco Visa rebate (check!), birthday/Christmas money (check!), change between the couch cushions (check!). New floor plan ideas have been approved by the husband – especially since I’ve included space for three wrestling mats in the living room – I mean, he couldn’t say no to that. Now all that was left to do was move and clean.

This was the kick in the pants I needed for over a year. The motivation to get rid of the junk that had been piled in the corners, and on the desk and counter tops. The drive to finally finish my dream of making this house a home. And while there was still much more work to do, on Saturday afternoon, there was a beautiful and clean open space ready for the table that would bring this family together for meals, games, and fellowship. Silent prayers, whispered under my breath, were still full of hope that the set would still be there when we left in just a few short minutes. I knew in my heart that God would not let us down. Not because I had cleaned. Not because I prayed. Not because I felt I was doing good. No, He would not let us down, because He is faithful. Whatever His plan for this, for us, it would be good.

God’s Plans Often Look Different from Our Own

If you’re like me, you know how sometimes setting your own plans aside for God’s can be challenging. Things don’t work out the way you expect. Or maybe you’re sent down a path that doesn’t quite line up with your dreams – or they don’t seem to at first. So sometimes when things seem to line up in ways that are too good to be true, I almost begin to doubt God’s faithfulness.

Maybe it won’t be there. Or maybe there’s just the dinged up floor model left. What if we get it and a piece is damaged and we go back and there’s none left? Maybe I made a mistake and the price went back up?

Oh, that seedling of fear, known as doubt, began to twist its tendrils around my faith. But before I could let it take hold, the Lord eased my fears and anxiety with not one, but two complete sets still sitting next to the display model.

But even in this instance, God’s plan was a bit different from my own: He had knocked the price down an additional $50! Oh, yes! It was as if sunbeams poured down from the skylight in the Costco roof and angels sang Hallelujah praises over us in that moment.

His plans always work for our good. Sometimes we don’t see it right away, and sometimes the blessings just line up so perfectly in a single moment.

In all things, we need to stay faithful. Keep moving towards that dream. Even if you can’t see it with your own eyes, your movements will bring you closer towards what God has destined for you. And like most journeys, the blessings are not found at the end, but rather, along the way.

I pray we can keep our eyes, ears, and our hearts open. And to walk in knowing that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose(Romans 8:28); and God’s plans are for our well-being, not for disaster, to give us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Above all, let us remember that we are SO very loved. Always.