Florida Was Never the Dream

The excitement our family is feeling right now isn't really about Florida.

Florida is beautiful, of course. For some, it's paradise. And yes, the thought of walking on the beach on Christmas Day sounds pretty incredible. But this move has never been about palm trees or sunshine.

Florida represents so much more than another state, another town, or another move.

It represents God's faithfulness.

It's the fulfillment of a promise He spoke over our lives years ago. It's His goodness on display. It's watching Him receive the glory through every closed door, every unexpected turn, every waiting season, and every answered prayer.

It's opportunity for our daughter to thrive.

It's the fulfillment of something God whispered to my heart in the middle of some of our hardest days - words that felt almost impossible to believe at the time.

It's being close enough to family that visits become ordinary instead of rare.

It's watching our kids grow up making memories with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents instead of squeezing everything into one rushed vacation each year.

It's saying "yes" to using the gifts God has given us in a place that desperately needs the hope of Jesus.

It's helping the hurting.

Helping guide the lost.

Pointing people toward the One who changes everything.

One of my favorite verses is Numbers 23:19 (yes... I love that it's 23:19!).

God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind. Has he ever spoken and failed to act? Has he ever promised and not carried it through? (NLT)

Almost fifteen years ago, God spoke over Josh and me that He was going to use us to do mighty things for His Kingdom.

Over those fifteen years, there were moments when I wondered if I'd misunderstood. Moments when life looked nothing like I imagined. Moments when waiting felt longer than I thought I could endure.

But God never forgot what He said.

He wasn't late.

He wasn't changing His mind.

He was preparing us.

Our character needed to be refined. Our faith needed to deepen.

We had lessons to learn, people to love, hurts to heal from, and experiences that would one day become part of someone else's encouragement.

Looking back, I can see that every season had a purpose.

The excitement we feel today is the same excitement we've felt before every ministry assignment God has called us into.

It's the excitement we felt in December 2014 when we packed everything we owned and moved across the country for the first time. It's the excitement we felt in June 2020 when we learned we'd be pastoring Go Church. It's the excitement we felt in May 2022 when we officially became the pastors of New Life Assembly.

And now...

Florida.

Not because of the destination.

Because of the calling.

For me, this season feels a lot like Israel finally crossing the Jordan River after years in the wilderness. The wilderness wasn't wasted. It was where God provided, taught, corrected, protected, and prepared His people. 

But eventually, there came a day to cross over. There came a day to step into the promise.

When Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan, God instructed them to stack twelve stones as a reminder of His faithfulness so future generations would ask, "What do these stones mean?"

I think we'll have our own pile of stones. Stories we'll tell our children. Moments we'll never forget. Reminders that when God speaks, He is faithful to finish what He starts.

Florida isn't just a place on a map.

It's a testimony.

A reminder that God's timing is always better than ours, His plans are always greater than ours, and His promises are always worth waiting for.

Here's to the next chapter.

To loving God.

Loving people.

And making disciples.