If you’ve been a regular reader, you know that it’s basically been nothing but crickets over here for a little over a month. Likely, you’ve been living out the events of your own life and haven’t really even noticed, but some of you may have been wondering why I’ve been silent, and, well, there’s mainly one big reason: I’ve kept quiet out of fear of spilling some pretty wonderful beans before we knew for sure they were ours to spill.

Our daughter and son-in-law, Emmie and Bobby, are moving the family home to Texas!

Yes. REALLY!

We are over the moon about it, and not just a little bit excited! They will be here in June, and for the first time in 10 years, all of our family will be in the same place.

Yesterday, I picked the keys up to their new house, and headed over to meet a maintenance man. Walking through the house, I was thanking God for answering our prayers that this move, and the job that facilitated it, would come to fruition, when I stopped suddenly, remembering a long-ago prayer that I had prayed in desperation. One in which I begged the Lord to bring my daughter home. At that time, He spoke into my very broken spirit, asking me this…

What if I say no, not just for now but for always? Do you trust me with her, or don’t you?

The proverbial rubber of my faith was meeting the road, and I had to make a decision. It was ultimately “yes” after some fitful days and nights, and my heart finally released her into His more than capable hands. As I stood there in that empty house, imagining it full of life, I realized anew that His “no” had not been for always, after all.

After all this time – His time – God is giving me His yes.

I’m in awe of what all He’s done in my daughter during the time she’s been apart from us. There are other prayers I prayed her whole life that never would’ve come to pass if He’d answered my prayers the way I wanted. She absolutely would not be the person she is today. I also would not have had my grandson, or gotten to know my beautiful oldest grandchildren, or the sweet man that is their father.

If you are in the throes of desperation, begging God for something really precious, only to be met with a no, I’m here to tell you that trusting His no has been absolutely worth it. Just as He’s said, His ways are not our ways.

They are always infinitely better.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ~ Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV