“So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, (18) may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, (19) and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the mature of all the fullness of God.(20) Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” – Ephesians 3:17-20
Little did I know on that fateful day how my life would change. It had changed in so many ways over the past years but it wasn’t always for the good. It was so much better now, yet it wasn’t complete, something, somehow, was still missing from my life and God knew it. I didn’t know it, God did.
Now my life was getting ready to change for the better, yet I didn’t know it, nor did I know how…but God did. See He had been working behind the scenes for years, preparing me, changing me, growing me, and also putting every piece of the big puzzle together. I didn’t know it persay, but God knew it. This is how He works in and through our lives, always working and connecting things. Creating elaborate ways to restore us, restore what the enemy took away from us. It’s now only about restoring but it’s also for redemption. Redeeming us and blessing us with more and greater because that is what His Love for us is exactly that. Much more than we can think or imagine.
I have learned this not only in knowledge but in physical ways as well. In ways of big blessings and healing.
No, I didn’t know all of this when I was directed to drive to Waco Texas on January 4th, to be there for the days of January 5-7th. He kept showing me these dates and there was a significant reason why, a snowstorm would hit Colorado and New Mexico as soon as I entered Texas and, the very day I left to back to Colorado, a horrible blizzard hit upper Texas through the panhandle and north into Colorado. The days I traveled and was in Waco were perfect timing between the storms. I didn’t know it, but God did.
When I arrived in Waco and met up with the realtor who had been the chosen one, God had connected me with him on realtors.com. He had a few houses lined out to look at from the information I had given him. My biggest desire was for the home to have lots of light and big windows because I love the light shining in my home. After looking at the houses that had been scheduled, God kept drawing me back to this one neighborhood area. I couldn’t understand why but as the days went after I had returned to my home in Colorado, God started revealing to me. It was an area in the county that borders up to the county that my great-great-grandfathers were from. They had lived there as friends in he 1840s-1860’s, had their families and two of the Millican boys would marry two of the Burch daughters and forever connect them. I have always loved my family’s history, especially my grandpa’s, family name.
I had already made plans to stop and meet up with a friend I had connected with a couple of years ago as I left Waco. We had connected on LinkedIn because of the journey we had taken through life and attended the same recovery center. I had wanted to meet her for several months and now I finally was going to have the chance to do just that. We decided to meet at the Fort Worth Stockyards for lunch.
She and her husband were one of the only 3 who knew anything about what God was doing in my life. God chose these 3 to be my prayer warriors and to pray over me so that the journey was good and that I would know without any doubt I was going in the right direction and God’s leading. Thank you, Johanna. My cousin in Paris, Texas was the second prayer warrior, Thank you, Steve Millican. The third person was my very dearest brother in Christ Frantz. Thank you, Frantz. A three cord will not be broken, and I am blessed that God placed such amazing family, and friends in my life.
I had asked him to begin praying over me in November because God kept putting Waco on my heart and I wasn’t sure what it was all about. But I did know a shift would be taking place after the first of the year. I didn’t know it, but God did.
I also asked my pastor cousin to begin praying. These three are the only ones I had said anything to, as God had given me their faces as the prayer warriors and support team that I needed for this journey. Consistently they all lived in Texas, God had that already figured out. Isn’t it amazing how God does His work?!
I can remember that it was yesterday when I wanted to leave Waco to drive back home to my hometown and current home, Canon City, Colorado, that I began to cry like a baby as I drove away. It felt like I was leaving my home for the first time and I truly didn’t want to leave. I asked God what He was doing to me and I just laughed. Reminding Hime of the home He already blessed me and given to me as my very own in Canon City. I had been in my home there for 31 years and it was the only home I had ever owned, and now it was all mine. I talked with Jesus all the way back to Colorado. I wasn’t anxious to get back home this time like I had been in past times. I asked God about this and all I remember is Him asking me if I trusted Him. I replied, You know I do God Almighty. The truth would soon be told whether I did or not. I had no idea what was coming in the months ahead. I didn’t know, But He sure did.
God had been drawing me from my home and home city in ways I didn’t see then but I sure see them now. You know when you are ‘called’, when you’re ‘chosen’, God pulls you away from a lot of things so you can hear Him more clearly. So you can have alone time with Him and enjoy the blessings. He does this so He will be able to prepare you and so He can begin molding you for what He has already prepared for you. He has His greatest and best planned out for you. You can’t be busy going and hanging around with friends all the time and think you’re going to hear God clearly and know His exact words or plan. Sorry, it truly doesn’t happen that way. Oh, if it would happen that way, then Moses would have never needed to go to the mountaintop. There never would have been any reason for Noah to be set aside and begin building alone. There definitely would not have been any reason for Joseph to be thrown into the pit. Those alone, separated times happen for a specific reason. The key is to be obedient after we hear His calling. I didn’t know what God was doing in my life, but He sure did. I had to choose to follow Him and not miss His blessings.
I would find out many days into the journey of 2024, how important my obedience to Him was going to be. What if I had just taken the time to see the numbers 5-7 at the end of December, as just numbers with no meaning? What if I had just thought to myself, ‘Well Lord I know of better days to plan this trip. What if I had left on the 5th and returned on the 8th? I can tell you this, I knew within my spirit that I was to leave on the 4th, be there in Waco on the 5th and 6th, and return home on the 7th. There was no doubt in my mind, The why, is what I didn’t have any clue about. The snowstorm began falling in Colorado and New Mexico shortly after I got home at midnight. I didn’t know the storms were supposed to be that bad, but God knew and He protected me. He is always working behind the scenes to protect and provide for His children. He wanted me to achieve everything that He had planned for me to do in Waco and get home safely. The trip and that moment were only realization of the beginning of the most incredible journey of my life. The months to come would leave me breathless at times, laughing for minutes on end and astounding not only myself but all the people He was going to place in my life for this journey. Who would be there for a reason and or a season. Days that would be joyous in ways I had never experienced in my life. Days that I would stand in awe of my Creator and fall deeper in love with Him.
I hope you will continue reading about this wonderful journey because it just gets better with every day and every step forward. Like the day the workers from Home Depot came to put in the new dishwasher because the old one had quit drying. A few days prior a coupon had come in the mail for a discount on new appliances. I believe it was straight from Heaven. I couldn’t help but notice the accent the young gentleman had, they were there to install the dishwasher in my home. I could tell they weren’t native to Colorado so I asked them where they were from. They replied they were up in Colorado working from the state of Texas. Hold on, it gets better. I began laughing and saying, of course, you are, I could tell by the accent. I asked what part of Texas were they from, and as they answered me I just laughed so hard I think I was crying. I know they were wondering why this little ‘ole lady was laughing at them. I told them what God had just begun to do in my life and they were just confirmation to me that I was going in the right direction. I can still hear and see the scene as I write it in this book today. God was already placing people in my life to assure me, remind me, and show me that He was moving me forward and by my obedience, things were just beginning to happen. However contrary to the approval of some, He had placed in my heart to be quiet, to be still, and just enjoy the journey.
See, if I had told others, it would have been a disturbed moment and I would have missed some of the little things that were about to happen because the giants would be causing chaos and commotion. So I was obedient and kept quiet enjoying the moments and receiving God’s kisses along the way. When God places it on your heart to be still, be quiet, and enjoy the journey, you must do it as He shows you. No matter what others say or think. It will be between you and God. Some of the God kisses would only be special to me and now that my Heavenly Father has permitted me to write the story about my journey, I know they will bless you too.
I didn’t know what was about to happen…But God did.
A three cord will not be broken, and I am blessed that God placed such an amazing family, and friends in my life.
Written by Author: TonniLea Larson
@copyright 2024 TonniLea Mininstries
