Pt. 1: Lay it all down
“Put in your 4 weeks.”
Have you ever had a “knowing” inside of you, where you just knew that you knew that God was speaking to you? I’m not talking about a big booming voice shouting down to you from some holy heaven megaphone. Just a knowing. Some would call it “a still small voice”. I left work that day and just knew that I needed to quit my job. I had worked with the same family for over 4 years and loved those little boys like they were my own. I loved my job. Nothing bad happened, no other jobs opened up, I just simply knew that I needed to put in my notice and go to some crazy tent revival event in Kentucky. I checked my calendar, and sure enough - the event was 4 weeks to the date, so I put in my notice and bought a one-way plane ticket. I won’t lie to you, I cried the day I put in my notice. That job was such a gift to me and I knew I’d miss my nanny kids like crazy. I didn’t know what the future held for me, I just knew I had to respond to the call of the Father.
As the first of the month approached just about as quickly as my last paycheck did, I knew the next step was choosing not to renew my lease. I lived in a tiny 425 sq. ft cottage tucked up in the mountain. I loved living by myself surrounded by nature and found so much comfort and rest sitting alone with Jesus in that place. Living in Colorado Springs, it was a miracle I found a place to myself I could actually afford. After so many rough years I’d finally gotten back on my feet a little bit and now it seemed the Lord was asking me to lay down the stability I’d fought so hard to find.
“He will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.”
-Isaiah 33:6
Without a consistent paycheck or another place to stay lined up, the next question was what to do with my stuff. One Saturday morning as I was pondering this question with the Lord and cleaning my house, I decided to take a few things that I didn't need to a local thrift store. A couple in the parking lot offered to help me carry a small piece of furniture to the donation drop-off. Their random act of kindness touched my heart and I asked them if they wanted the ottoman. They looked at each other in disbelief and to my surprise admitted that they actually needed furniture.
I knew this was my opportunity to put a fleece out before the Lord. (Judges 6:36-40) I was wrestling between being a good steward of the things I had, and wanting to give it all away if the Lord was leading me to do so. Was I going to come back to Colorado after this event in Kentucky?
“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”
-Mark 10:21-22
You should have seen the look on their face when I invited them to come shop my house. I told them they could take anything they wanted for free. We didn’t even make it into the thrift store that day. As they followed me to my house, I prayed in the car that the Lord would move on their hearts and if I was supposed to give my things away, that they would want them, and if I wasn’t, that they wouldn’t take them. I didn’t want to be like the rich young ruler who missed out on being Jesus’ 13th disciple because he wasn’t willing to lay it all down.
They were ecstatic when they realized how beautiful my antique pieces were, and loaded up their SUV with my favorite things. The man said he could feel a “presence” in my house and enthusiastically kept repeating to the woman, “I knew we were supposed to come here!” I told him the presence he could feel in my house was the Holy Spirit. When they finished loading up my belongings, I asked him if he figured out the reason why he was supposed to come to my house that day.
“What do you mean? To get all this awesome furniture of course!”
“But you said you could feel a strong presence of the Lord in my house. Maybe God has something way better than furniture for you today.”
“What do you mean? I believe in God.”
“Can I pray for you? Let’s find out.”
I prayed the simplest prayer that God would touch him that day and watched as God encountered this middle-aged man in such a powerful way that he literally shot back 3 feet grabbing his stomach and yelling, “What the f*** was that?! That was f****** real!! I felt that!!” He repeated himself over and over again and even locked himself in the car with the window down and stuck his head out looking back at me with his eyes wide open like he saw a ghost. I was just as shocked as he was. I didn't know that was going to happen. I just felt led to pray, so I did. The power of the Holy Ghost hit him in such an electric way that he physically felt a force jolt him backwards, as if he had been hit by lightning!
“God is real, friend! You didn’t just come to my house today for furniture. You came here today because God needed you to know that He is real and that Jesus loves you!”
As hard as it was watching my favorite antique pieces walk out the door, that moment made it all worth it. I went back into my half empty cottage and wept on the floor before the Lord. He is worthy of it all, and seeing people encounter the love and power of the living God is worth laying everything down for no matter how hard it may seem. It was humbling to know that just like how the rich young ruler missed out on walking with Jesus, I could have missed out on seeing the power of God in that moment, had I not been willing to lay it all down.
A few days after that I boarded a plane on a one-way ticket to KY with nothing more than my backpack and a few hundred dollars to my name. I didn’t have any sort of plan or agenda, or any idea what was next. I just did it because I knew God was asking me too.
What does it look like for you to say yes to following Jesus today? Maybe for you it doesn't look like leaving everything behind to fly to Kentucky, maybe it simply looks like inviting Him into the deeper places of your own heart. Following Him is always worth it every time. I challenge you to search your heart today and ask Him, "Jesus, what does it look like to follow you today?”
To find out what happens next, click here.
