I believe that God loves to be faithful to you when you trust him. I believe that he loves to show up and show off in your life when you ask Him.
When I was first moving out of my parent’s house I had an unreasonable fear of making it on my own. I had convinced myself that I wouldn’t find a reasonable place to live, that I’d have a dark and depressing basement suite with hardly any windows and possibly mold. Despite having budgeting skills, I had also imagined that I would run out of money and have to move back in with my parents. Needless to say, I had convinced myself that I couldn’t do it, and this fear probably kept me at home longer than I would have liked to be.
At this time, I was also a new Christian, and my generous new small group hosts bought me a registration to a bible class. I knew nothing, and the information I was taking in seemed hard to believe. But, my parents were moving to another town and I needed a place to live, so I latched on to the first two basic scriptures I learned in that class and prayed a tentative prayer.
“You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:14 NIV
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than al we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20 NIV
That was all I had to go on. I can’t even remember if I felt like God was really there, but I hoped He was, and I asked Him to do what the bible said he would. I told Him the things I wanted in a new place to live, and I asked in Jesus name that it would be provided and on budget. I also told Him that I had learned that He could do above and beyond all that I could imagine or think, and that, I expected him to do so.
Soon, an old high school friend moved back to town, reconnected with me and said she was looking for a roommate. Through a generous family friend of hers, we moved into a large townhouse filled with natural light, for way under the budget I had set for myself when I had expected basement suite living. Talk about going above and beyond what I could imagine or think.
To this day I feel like God showed up to prove to me that He’s there, and that he cares about the things I care about. When doubt creeps in, in any situation, I remember how he showed up and wowed me before.
ALISON BOLANOS
Alison works on staff at Relate Church and is a vital part of the church community along side her husband Rember.
