Those Who Question God's Lead

Gwenn and Nick are following God's lead and are embarking on a most extraordinary and wild journey. They are making serious plans to move with their three kids to impoverished Haiti (birthplace of one of their brood), acquire land to build a home-style orphanage where they will be houseparents, and have designs to construct other service buildings and a soccer field on the property.

It's difficult to imagine moving away from North Carolina where the gettin's 'bout as good as it gets. Affordable housing, the world at your fingertips, great schools, no pollution, police protection, clean drinking water, hot baths!

Needless to say, Gwenn and Nick have been questioned about the sanity and safety of their plan.

Every time you follow God's plan for your life there will be people who question it. Not out of ill will for you, I believe, but to test you, to try your commitment to God's will, even when His direction seems ludicrous to the outside world. Maybe even God puts those people in your life, so you and He will know for sure you are up to the task He's placed before you.

We faced similar circumstances when we moved to NC from California. We left the idyllic San Francisco Bay Area with its rich culture, big city advantages, gorgeous ocean vistas, ancient redwood forests, et al. From that viewpoint many die hard Bay Areans were shocked for us to move to "moonshine country." (Which is not true at all, the ocean and mountains are just as beautiful on this coast, and the Triangle is wonderfully culturally and ethnically diverse.)

The others in our lives, those who understand that it is possible to live outside of California and still enjoy life, also questioned our sanity. I was 6 months pregnant with my son, my daughter was 16 months old, neither of us had a job, we hadn't yet sold our $3,000/month albatross of a house ("What a dump!"--said like Bette Davis), we had no home in NC, all of our savings was in retirement accounts, and we knew not one soul in NC.

With all that, there was absolutely no reason for us to move. And, people questioned it. Rightfully so. And yet, we knew it was the thing to do. We knew God wanted this path, this life for us. There is a reason we left friends and family in California and moved to NC.

And, five years later we are still waiting for an answer.

Things haven't gone the way we envisioned, and we don't have a clear picture of what we're doing here. But for now, God wants us here. So, we will stay and pray for further direction.

I understand a tiny bit of what Gwenn and Nick are going through in their move to Haiti. They are making a much more drastic and severe change than we have, yet I know the feeling. People will throw all sorts of stuff at you, questions, concerns, other ideas, and most are coming from a truly genuine intent to help you. In a way they do, because every time you question your choice and you come back to the same conclusion, that conclusion is verified: you know you're following God's will.

So, when God tells you to do something, you need to do it regardless of what people say. Reference Moses, Job, Jonah--yikes, too many to name-- but you get the picture. Your answer to those who question your plans shows that you're on the right path, or the wrong one.