Don’t Go to Germany

Some of my most exhilarating memories were when I was lost in the Austrian-German countryside with my sister. It was just us and a huge amount of blitz and tunder. We got caught in an epic thunderstorm, turned around, and then eventually found our way, back to the safe haven of our family at the bed and breakfast with goats and a garden and warm apfel strudel right out of the oven. So comforting after our cold rainstorm and crazy adventure. In that bed and breakfast, fireflies swooned outside the window. I thought to myself, “This is the most romantic place ever and I want to bring my future husband here someday.”

Well, it turns out that I ended up marrying a dreamy man who loved Jesus and who happened to have a job that sent him everywhere overseas. One of his trips was to Germany, not too far from that little village and bed and breakfast! We bought airline tickets, made arrangements. Wow! Dreams were coming true! I was only a few months into my pregnancy so it was a perfect time to travel for our little baby-moon.

But I kept hearing a quiet whisper, articulated clear as day. “Don’t go to Germany.”

What? I mean, dreams are coming true, here Lord. But I kept listening for God’s direction, and I kept hearing, “Don’t go to Germany.”

I finally couldn’t wonder any longer. I knew it was Holy Spirit and I knew the instructions were clear. We were still newly weds and I didn’t know if my husband might think I was crazy. I half wondered if I was myself. But I knew that Voice and I knew that He’s never steered me wrong in the past. So I told Dan. He had never heard the Lord redirect his plans quite like that before, but he trusted that I heard from the Lord. We ate the ticket price. He still went on for his work assignment, and I stayed behind. Not knowing why. And sad that my dream didn’t come true afterall.

I did not go to Germany. I decided to go visit my mom and dad in a nearby town. Just a day or two into my visit, when my husband had just landed in Germany without me, we got an urgent call. My sister was going into preterm labor, shockingly early. Like before they even got to take their first class on labor and delivery and Lamaze. Before they even got to pack their hospital bags.

Turns out, she had preeclampsia. I had just fought a massive battle in prayer for my friend the year prior as she went into preeclampsia. I was trained in how how to pray for this, to believe for this, to ask God to deliver my sister and her baby. And I knew without a doubt, when I was by her side and praying over her and her labor, that this was where I was called to be. By her side, stateside, and in prayer.

What an honor to be there to pray through that! What a blessing that God had already taught me exactly how to pray through that the year before! And what a joy it was to hold that sweet little baby girl and to see my sister made it through safely!

God holds dreams for us bigger than we are able to dream. He sees the longer game. He knows and can be trusted.

Maybe a trip back to that spot in Germany is still in my future. But I am so thankful for how that all went down.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Isaiah 30:21

The next time you hear direction that feels left field, I’m learning that left field is often where the Lord likes to come from. His ways are not our ways. His ways are higher. His ways seem fiscally irresponsible sometimes. They seem unorthodox. They can also seem wild and crazy. But if you know that you know that you heard the Lord, then obey. I’m not sure if it’s worse to never listen for God’s voice in the first place, or to hear His voice and then not obey. It takes guts and courage to do something that feels uncertain, unclear, even unruly… but if it’s the voice of the Lord, then be sure that it will be worth following.