We’ve been seeking permanent moorage from the Port of Everett, which has been a process of delays from the beginning. From the very beginning, Ryan and I resolved and held fast to the view that since God authored this new life, He would provide a dock we could call “home,” in His timing. We chose to not fear and not to fret.  This is another devotional from “God’s Dream for your Life” by Rick Warren that really touched my heart at just the right time.

“Dreams are never fulfilled immediately. There’s always a waiting period. Abraham had the dream of being the father of a great nation, and he waited 90 years before he was even told he was going to have a son. Noah had the dream of building an ark, but it took him 120 years. The Israelites were brought out of Egypt and then wandered around for 40 years before they went into the Promised Land, yet it’s only about a two-week walk between Egypt and Israel.

Just like the Israelites, sometimes we are delayed by design. God uses delays to prepare us. Every dream has difficulties. God uses delays to get us ready for those difficulties. God knew that if the Israelites went to war unprepared, they wouldn’t be able to handle it, so he knew he needed that time to prepare them for what was ahead.

God also uses delays to test us. The Bible says in Deuteronomy 8:2, “Do you remember how the Lord led you through the wilderness for all those forty years, humbling you and testing you to find out how you would respond, and whether or not you would really obey him?” (TLB)

So when your dream is delayed, how should you respond?

Don’t fear!

This is the first mistake the Israelites made. Deuteronomy 1:28 says, “Why should we go there? We are afraid. The men we sent tell us that the people there are stronger and taller than we are.” (GNT). The Israelites had enough faith to move out of Egypt, but they didn’t have enough faith to move into the Promised Land. They were afraid.

The problem with fear is that it keeps you in the wilderness. It prolongs the delay. Many of your drams have never been fulfilled, not because of God but because of you, because you wouldn’t step out in faith.

The antidote to fear is to focus on God’s presence. Realize that God is with you. When you’re afraid to go after the dream God has given you, you need to focus on God’s presence. He says, “Fear not, for I am with you” (Isaiah 41:10 TLB). He’s with you now, he always has been, and he always will be.

Some of you are in the delay phase right now. You’ve been praying about something, and it hasn’t happened yet. You may start to think that God has forgotten you.

God has not forgotten you! It is a delay by design. God knows what you’re going through. He wants to build your character, and he wants you to learn to trust in Him. You can count on him for his help. Don’t fear!”

~God’s Dream for your life by Rick Warren

Through another trying time in our lives eight years ago, I went through Beth Moore’s Believing God Bible Study. The most important thing I learned then, and needed now, was this:  I must Trust God to do what he says He will do. I cannot be effective if I’m afraid, or if I doubt that God really means what He says in His Word. I chose to stop letting fear rule my life. I hear God whisper, “Begin to do what I am telling you to do because what I am telling you is for your benefit. I know the blessings that are on the other side, and so does the devil. That’s why he is coming against you with fear and why I keep telling you to fear not!”

On May 31^st, a little over one month after we moved aboard and four months after beginning this journey, God miraculously provided permanent moorage for us at the Port! My prayer through this adventure, is that I would come to Know my LORD more than I ever had before, and to love Him and Trust Him as my Abba Father. With ballet classes multiple times a week, client meetings, engagement sessions and weddings, we needed a home port. What a wonderful Abba He is to provide us a place to call “home”! Praise His Name!!

“The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, He will quite you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zephaniah 3:17  As we continue to live here, I thought about the children’s church song, “He’s got the whole world in His hands…” and was overcome with peace as I thought, in our coming and going and normal daily life, we are literally rocked to sleep like a child’s cradle each night.  His song is amazing.  I can trust Him to take care of us.