The No-Stress Lifestyle

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

I shared this verse with someone yesterday as a little reminder for them that God's got their back. And I've been thinking on it ever since. Because God does have their back! And God has my back too! The mere idea that God has plans for me and my family has literally revolutionized my way of thinking and has led to me living as stress-free as possible. That's a wonderful way to live!

I think I baffled a few people this past weekend as we were talking about us moving eventually. They asked when and if we were going to look at a few houses, and when I told them that I had no plans to go look at them...well, you can tell it caught them by surprise. I just have such a confidence that God is going to work this one all out. When the time comes, the right house will be the one, and I have no need to physically go and see what it looks like on the inside. Andy may go and look simply because he will be the one who has to do any remodeling if it comes to that- but until it's set in stone, and I have keys in my hand, there is no point in me looking at homes.

Here's why. For me, if I go and walk through a place, and it meets our basic needs, I will begin to mentally plan moving in. I will place furniture in my head, I will have a garden designed for the yard, and I will be planning for the future in that place- paint, curtains, things like that will become a priority for me, and I will think on it all the time. Now let's say things don't work out with that place. Now I've put all this time and thought, and maybe even some money in purchasing things for nothing. Then we move on to another place, and I'll have us moved in again in my head. It's just a cycle that for me, causes undue stress that I simply don't want to have to deal with.

God knows the plans He has for us! He knows! And I know that He knows, and I know with absolute certainty- because my Bible tells me so- that He will not leave us homeless and on the street. He has a plan, and I will be patient and hold that plan in my heart. I will wait and I will praise Him for the answer to prayer that is coming. I will thank Him for making this entire process wonderful and easy and I will trust in His precious Words of truth.

God's Word never fails. By trusting in His Word, I am rebuking stress. Stress is a tool of the devil- used to drive people bonkers and cause health issues. I will not be stressed, because I carry with me the Peace that passes ALL understanding.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:5

The peace of Christ does rule in my heart. I will be peaceful and I will trust. God is just SO GOOD! I know He will not fail us, and I am so, so incredibly thankful that He has taken this burden from our shoulders. Looking for a new place to live can be such a burden, and could even cause problems with our marriage, but because Andy and I both trust that God has our backs, He is taking us to exactly where we need to be.

And along the way, while we're waiting for this physical need to be met, spiritually we are growing in phenomenal leaps and bounds. This whole process is something that our spirits are just eating up, and storing inside, just waiting for the ability to be able to share with everyone how God makes a way, even when there seems to be no way. This whole adventure has been worth the spiritual benefits alone! I have to confess, that even if we ended up in a less-than-desirable place for us, we would still be incredibly thankful, because we have grown and matured so much in our walk with God because of this journey. We will praise Him no matter what happens! It just so happens though, that we have a God who has plans for us- and those plans include plans to prosper us and not harm us.

And I believe that He will follow through on His promise. I can't wait to share exactly how He does that.