A Place to Prepare
God, I just need a sign! How many times have you prayed a prayer like that to God? I pray it almost daily. If we take a look around us, we can see that God is continuously at work. From creation to the beginning and ending of life, God’s hand in everything is on full display, and yet we still ask Him for signs. I know I’ve been guilty of asking God for a “burning bush” experience (Exodus 3). I’ve prayed and asked Him to reveal Himself to me in ways only I could understand…and He has exceeded my requests, time, and time again.
In August of 2018, my family was preparing for our long journey to the South. In the weeks leading up to our move, I was having a tough time sleeping, and being perfectly honest coping. To describe what we were going through as stressful would be an understatement. I loved the town I lived in. I grew up there. My family is there. A lot of memories were made there…good and bad. I especially loved our house! A spacious 3,000 sq foot home, with a sunroom, indoor playground, and a two-room, full kitchen, and bathroom guest house attached on the back! When we bought the house, I remember thinking, “why would anyone pass this up? It’s on a busy street; the price is more than fantastic, and with that guest house attached, the business possibilities were endless”! That’s because that house wasn’t meant for anyone else but my family at the time.
Our home on Cameo street turned out to be one of the greatest blessings for our family. Not only did we have a house that could fit our family comfortably, but we were able to remodel the back house as my salon. We found favor with the local church next door, and they let me use their parking lot at no charge. Clients could enter the salon and never even know my home was connected. Beautiful memories were made in that salon. Lots of laughs, great conversations, birthday parties, wedding and prom preparations, and the occasional spirit-filled prayer session. God found a way for me to work smart and reach His people all from the back of my house. Only God could have orchestrated it all.
As we got closer to our move, on the nights that I actually could sleep, God was speaking to me loud and clear regarding a few specific things. I woke up one night because the dream I had was so realistic that I had to walk the halls of my almost packed up home to see if it was really happening. In my dream, my home was all packed in boxes. I heard noises coming from the back of the house where Nevaeh’s room was, as well as the door that leads to the salon. As I made my way down there, I could see a bright light shining. I stepped closer to Nevaeh’s bedroom only to find her asleep in a dark room. The glow was coming from the salon. I slowly opened the door, and in front of me was a large screen with a slide show being projected onto it. Picture after picture of what seemed to be photos from a mission trip to Africa. As I looked down from the screen, sitting on the floor surrounded by stacks of paperwork and pictures, was my beautiful friend Bevin Bold feverishly working. She finally looked up from her work and uttered a statement that would change how I felt about our move forever. She took a deep breath and said: “I’m so sorry, but I just needed a place to prepare.” I immediately woke up.
The dream was so real and knew what it meant. God is a God of timing, perfect timing. He moves us from season to season, and our season in Clovis was coming to an end. Our home, the salon, our time in that enchanted little city was all just a preparation space for something greater. Dreams, business ideas, friendships, and so much more were created in that house, in that salon, on that block, in that quaint little
town. Not just for ourselves, but for everyone who came in connection with us.
I asked God for signs from Him, and He met me in my dreams. He came to me in a way that only I could understand, and know it was Him. I’m forever grateful for our time in Clovis, and now I’m asking God to do it again. Take all that we have, increase our territory, and continue to equip us with all we need to make His name known. I’ve found a property here in Crestview similar to ours in Clovis, but even better! We in no way have the money, and who knows how long we will be here, but I drive by it every day, and I say if it is for us, then God will create a way. Will you seek God today for the things you believe for, even if it’s just a word of encouragement from a stranger to reassure you that He is listening? Please know that God hears you, and is longing to meet you right where you are, even in your dreams.
