Have you ever reflected and thought "Why?" about the timing of certain events in your life?
Me too.
When Andrew, my husband, and I first felt the Lord ask us to surrender our home in Abbotsford, it felt terrifying and exciting at the same time. I knew in my heart the Lord was up to something and that He was going to continue to so some deep work in both Andrew and I through this process.
As we prayed, discussed and followed the Lord, He led us just thirty minutes away from our community in Abbotsford, to Chilliwack. He led us to a townhome where a family the same as ours (3 boys and a girl, similar ages too!) were waiting on God's timing for them to rent out their townhome in order that they may go be missionaries. Both of our families felt blessed by the Lord in the clarity of our meeting.
Andrew and I had no idea how long we would be in Chilliwack for, that was up to the Lord.
As I continued to put my trust in the Lord, to seek Him in more of my decisions, I became more content in the cocoon that He had provided. I was filled with joy, knowing that being removed from some of the comforts I may have taken for granted, a growing experience, was taking root.
In the Lord's divine timing, a year and four months later, our family is in the process of moving back to Abbotsford. He has made it evidently clear to us, through our quiet time spent with Him, that it is time. We are so grateful. To be on the precipice of another new chapter, that I know won't necessarily be easier, is once again both terrifying and excillerating! With God by our side we'll face all the ups and downs and remember that there is purpose in everytHing. I want to move and have my being right in His divine timing and will.
Sometimes life rolls along so well and I marvel at the flow of it, praising God. Other times it's like a wild bronco that cannot be controlled. However, I'm learning to see these times as praiseworthy too, by noticing how they're shaping me.
After reflecting on the month of March, I found this common thread where God kept asking me to trust in His timing. It wasn't super obvious at first glance, but upon reflection I could see it with my mentor's keen eye and gentle heart.
There was one such day that His timing was evident. The first Monday after Spring Break, we dove back into school/work schedule of our family. Andrew went to work, Jude got dropped off at the bus and I watched Ivy walk down the street to school. I started off my prayer journal with admitting that my mind felt scattered and I felt pulled in too many different directions. Typing it all out is cathartic for me and I imagine it like a conversation with my Almighty Father who can shoulder the weight of my life so beautifully.
I carried on with the day and took Koen and Miles to the gym. It felt good to move my body and get back into that rhythmn after a few days off. Not long after we were home, I got a call from Ivy's school asking me to come pick her up. Her tummy was off and we had talked through all the possibiities. I believe it was anxiety, but it can be hard to know with little ones who are just learning their bodies signals.
PLOT TWIST #1 Ivy was home 3 hours sooner then anticipated.
We had scheduled to take the car in to get a nail removed and a patch on the driver side tire at 1pm. Initially I was going to chill at Starbucks with Koen and Miles during the appointment, however as 1pm rolled around there both on a roll with school and I didn't want to interrupt them. Instead I decided to take Ivy with me, as she had nothing else going on.
When we got in the car Ivy asked me for some music, as she regularly does. I told her I was feeling anxious and that I needed some quiet. She took my response in stride. Not a minute passed and the Bluetooth connection in the car connected to my phone and started playing music with out prompt. We heard...
If you're having a hard day
Ain't no way you're giving up
Keep your head up, keep fighting
'Cause the pressure makes a diamond
Reading these lyrics a few days later, they don't seem all that deep, but Ivy and I looked at eachother in that moment as the words sunk in.
I felt seen by the Lord in that moment.
I said to Ivy, "I'm so glad you were here to experience this moment with me."
If felt like the Lord was aying
"I see you having a hard time, but I'm producing something good in you."
My daughter can testify to this story as nuch as I can, what a beautiful thing.
We proceeded to drop the car off and walked across the parking lot to the Starbucks. We ordered some drinks and found a couple of comfy chairs in the windowed corner. I had grabbed a deck of cards as we left the house, so we played and talk as we passed the time. They had told me it would take approximately 30-45min. I got a phone call about 40min later expecting them to tell me my car was ready to be picked up. Instead...
PLOT TWIST #2 - They could not removed the nail and I needed to proceed with a new tire or put my summer tires on.
I called Andrew to see what he would prefer. We decided we'd just put our summer tires on. So, at this point we'd just take the car as is and hope th eleak doesn't get exponentially worse in a few days. They needed more time to put the tire back on the car. It was frustrating and I had a choice, I could look at the last hour as a waste of time or I could look at it with a different lens. A lean my beautiful Father in heaven has gifted me with. He's showing me there are always other perspectives. What if I looked at it as a beautiful time of connection with my daughter, carved out with intention by our Father who loves us. He gave me the oppurtunity to talk with her about how we can't control what happens to us in this life, but we can control how we react to it. Who know the impact we were on the baristas, or the mechanics, only th eLord knows that. I believe He has a reason for everything under the sun.
After an afternoon of packing, being online school support, picking up a kid from the bus, cleaning the kitchen and other odds and ends, it was a blessing to know that Andrew had taken on the roll of dinner tonight. He got home at 6pm. I met him at the front door with a hug. He sniffed the air curiously.
PLOST TWIST #3 I could smell it too. It wasn't me though, I promise, ha-ha. We walked down the hall to decipher where the smell was coming from, We concluded that it was comign fromt he utility closet.
I suggested we have dinner before figuring out what was going on. He proceeded to whop up smash burger so fast, I felt like I blinked and they were ready!
Once we had all eaten, Andrew and I decided to do a little run to Home Depot for a light bulb. I proceeded to go suss out the utility cliset once more in case there was something we needed for this weird smell from Home Depot as well. Upon further thgouth discussion and googling we decided it might be a gas leak and if it was, we should call someone and get everyone out of the house. So, Andrew proceeded to call Fortis BS and I rounded up the kids to leave.
There we were, the six of us, sitting in the truck in visitor parking just outside our townhome. A couple of the kids were verbally anxious about the situation, so we prayed. We sat for a little while, mostly in the quiet. After about 20min had passed and realizing we really had no idea how long the tech would take to arrive, I walked down to the playground in the dark with the kids. Andrew stayed close to home, to let the tech in.
The kids and I were feeling a little chilled from the night air after 30min at the park, so we headed back to the warmth of the truck. Back in the truck most of us did our own things on our phones. Andrew, Ivy and I started an episode of Gilmore Girls, but we were feeling fatigued. It was past 9o'clock by now and I was thinking that if there was a gas leak and we couldn't get back in our house, we should probably make a plan. So, Andrew proceeded to call Fortis again to get an estimate at least on how close the tech was. No sooner did we get through to dispaatch, the tech showed up in our driveway. Andrew went to let him in. I prayed again with the kids that if it be God's will, that we could safely sleep in our own beds tonight. Ten to fifteen minutes passed and Andrew came back witht eh news that there was no gas leak and no carbon monoxide. It was safe to go back inside. Praise the Lord!
Again, I could consider this a big waste of time, a frustration or I could shine the light/lens of Jesus on it. I see it as another hour and a half where we got to connect in an unexpected way with eachother. It was fun to be at the park in the dark, that never happens! It was a rare oppurtunity of connection and play with my kids.
We don't know the Lord's reasons why, but perhaps walking through our home the Holy Spirit moved in a new way within the tech or as Anderew spoke with him. All I can do is trust that the Lord's ways are higher. I believe the plot twists in life always have purpose and are life giving agents to bring His Kingdom here.
Why do I share these stories on my art blog you may wonder? Well, alongside these moments in life where the Lord is revealing things to me, in His timing, so it is with the newest collection. I most definitly thought by April I'd be able to reveal the first piece in the collection to you. However, that's not what the Lord has allowed. In fact, He has not imparted the timeline of this collection to me. I have had thoughts about how and when I'd release the collection, however He's shown me that again, His ways are higher and His timeline is different then mine. I really have no clue at this point how long it will take to even produce the first piece.
What I do know right now, is that we've been called to move cities this month. So, all my art materials are in boxes currently. I'll be setting up my 5th art studio in the coming weeks. My energy is going towards my family and moving. That can be just as worship filled depending on my attitude. After all, it is what the Lord has set before me to do this month.
At the beginning of 2026 I was excited about a brand new collection, I had no idea the kind of foundational work the Lord would want to di in me first before anything would be physically seen. I find it amazing that He has titled it 'H I D D E N' and neither you or I is privy to when it won't be so hidden. He's a mystery to us!
He started revealing things to me about this new collection back in Noveber 2025, so it's been 5 months of prayer, 5 months of takin you along this foundational journey in writing, this deep work that He's doing. It's been 5 months of practicing collage, drawing, painting, writing, seeking and discerning. In His divine timing, I can't wait to see what happens next!
PS. It's ironic to me that this blog post titled 'Divine Timing' wasn't posted on my timeline of April 1st, but rather April 20th, the very last day in my Chilliwack townhome. I wonder what the Lord is up to?