“Just DO It”
In March of 2017, things were going well for me and my family. Legacy Minded Men was growing and, as a man, I was moving closer to the Lord. But one walk around the neighborhood with my wife changed the entire paradigm.
Let me give you a little context.
Back in 2011, our area was hit hard by Hurricane Irene. 10 feet of water filled my basement and spilled onto the first floor, rendering our home unlivable for almost four months. It was devastating, yet something kept holding me back from getting upset or worried. I had a sense things would end up okay and that this upset was part of something I didn’t know about yet. I believed it would all work out.
It did.
Our home, at the time, was 45 years old and in need of repairs, which, quite frankly, I didn't have the money to cover. But because we had good insurance and a fantastic adjuster, we were able to repair the damage from the flood, and then some. In many ways, we ended up with a brand new home, one that we would never have been able to afford on a normal day.
A few years after the flood and subsequent repairs, we were once more comfortably settled in the house, but sensing that we wouldn’t be there for long. While on that fated walk with my wife one day, we happened across our neighbor, who we knew was involved in town meetings focused on flooding issues. His words left us discouraged. The town was buying up homes in the flood zones and plains in our area. Ours wasn’t in danger, but the landscape of the neighborhood was changing fast. We were worried the value of our house would go down and that we’d be stuck there forever.
As we got back home, my wife turned to me and said, “It’s time.”
I knew exactly what she was talking about. I had been sensing a move for a while, and not just any move, but a move to Florida. Both my wife and I felt it would be wise for us personally as well as for the ministry. Both of my sons were getting established down there, the cost of living meant I would be able to do ministry full-time (where I believed God was leading me) and the absence of winters was a nice perk.
But there were so many details needing to be addressed that it was both overwhelming and scary for the family. But we knew it was the right thing to do. From the outside, it looked crazy. After all, things were going well for us in New Jersey. But we’re called to step out of our comfort zone and put ourselves into the hands of the Master.
In Genesis 12:1 it says, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people, and your father's household to the land I will show you.’” And Abram went.
We were faced with our own Abram moment, and we decided to take it. Over the next two months, details came together in a way that left it undeniable that this was where God was leading us.
And within a couple of weeks after pulling into Vero Beach, Florida, I was introduced to three men who would help further make the transition seamless. Vero has become home, and the ministry is exploding. Every day, I look forward to new opportunities to serve and trust God, because, like the rocks the Israelites left at the shore of the Jordan to remind them of what God had done there in parting the waters, I can look back and count the ways He has been my protector, my champion, my loving, faithful Father. I know He will deliver.
What about you? What is he calling you to do? Seek wise counsel and see if it really is from Him. And then, just do it.