Stepping into the Wilderness…

Okay, so if you read last week’s Blog, you know why I decided to move forward with this blog (If you haven’t read it yet, click here to get caught up)… At least as it pertains to overcoming my excuses… But this week, I want to share with you more of my “Heart Reason” behind this Blog.

As you may or may not know, I live in Northern Japan (Read more about it on my About Me page). I have lived here for three years & we are working on a move to another area of Japan for the next three years.

Before our Japan Adventure began, we lived on Guam, where we moved three months after my hubs & I got married, in Virginia.

So basically, we have lived overseas for pretty much all of our marriage, & it hasn’t always been the “grand adventure” I dreamed it would be.

You have to understand, I was raised in the same house, since I was FIVE, & when my then fiancé asked about moving to Guam, I was all, “Where do we sign!!?” I was ready to see somewhere else… to explore the great big world.

I had no idea where or what Guam was (a US territory, who knew? Haha), but when I heard the words “tropical island” & “it would mean leaving Virginia,” I was SOLD.

Well, Guam was definitely BEAUTIFUL (still is!), but my newly-wed husband’s job kept him away most days & most hours. Added to that, I had no car & no job for quite a while. Needless to say, I was alone A LOT. AND, I was on the other side of the globe (AKA an opposite time zone to all family & friends in VA). Let’s just say, it wasn’t as great as I envisioned when those facts were factored into the equation.

Fast forward to our three years in Northern Japan, where I was told we would have plenty of English surrounding us & that we would have an unbreakable, tight bond with any American friends, since we are the only few foreigners…. Well, that didn’t quite turn out either. While my hubs, Jamie, worked far more reasonable hours, I had VERY few friends and VERY few people spoke ANY English. Again, let’s just say, it wasn’t as great as I envisioned when those facts were factored into the equation.

Unmet Expectations & the Chance for Joy

Are you starting to see a pattern?

Expectations had been built around these adventures… “Tropical island getaway!” “Adventures that never end!” “Tons of English!” “Tons of friends!” … Expectations that didn’t exactly pan out.

Now don’t get me wrong, I did make some awesome friends. But for the majority of these past SIX YEARS, I have spent them alone (with the exception of our fur-baby kitty, Cisco, whom we adopted on Guam).

So, how did I handle this isolation & ALONE-ness?

Well, I would like to say that I prayed my way through it all & God worked in great ways! And it did start out that way. But I was praying mostly for God to just remove the wilderness time of my life, versus asking Him to work THROUGH my wilderness. I wanted my comfort zone back. But I wanted & expected God to answer my prayers MY WAY.

But He didn’t. He had His own plans. And instead of allowing myself to trust those plans, for the most part, I figuratively crossed my arms & huffed, “No!”

Over these six years, I had great potential. I had the potential to rest in God’s will & plan, to hand over my loneliness & isolation & say, “God, make beauty from my wilderness. Give me peace & strength through this wilderness.” But instead, I prayed, “Lord, take my wilderness away.”

I realize now, as I begin to submit my stubborn refusal & begin to accept my given wilderness, that if I had entrusted that wilderness to Him at the beginning, He could have brought an oasis out of those difficulties. He could have sprung life into that wilderness. He could have used me to bless so many more people. He could have given me strength, peace, & joy.

You see, God is willing to take our hand and walk with us, if we reach out to take it.

Learning through the Wilderness

If you are aware of the story of Joseph, in the Bible, he was the complete opposite of me, in how he responded to his wilderness.

He had brothers that hated him, & who considered leaving him in a ditch THEY DUG, to die, & THEN sold him into a traveling Slave Trade instead! Woah, talk about messed up!

THEN, even though he trusted God through all of that, his new owner’s wife was so angry that he wouldn’t sleep with her, that she lied to her husband, accused him of attempted rape, & had him thrown in prison. THEN, (as if that wasn’t enough), a man, who had the opportunity to help get him out, forgot all about him!

I mean, wow.

How is Joseph not completely jaded & bitter by now? How is he not wallowing in self pity? I certainly would be! (Read Joseph’s whole amazing story in Genesis 37-50.)

But you know what? Joseph continued to trust God & rest in God’s plan through that LONG & terribly sad wilderness. He kept on trusting! Again, wow!

And do you know what happened as a result of his trust? Well, because he trusted his frustrating & heartbreaking wilderness to God, God created an Oasis (several times, in fact), in the midst of it all:

1. His brother felt guilt about leaving him for dead, so he convinced his brothers to make money off of him by selling him instead
2. Because of Joseph’s strong character, he was chosen & bought by someone with high standing, who respected Joseph & gave him much authority in his home
3. Because of his character, AGAIN, the prison guard respected Joseph & made him the prisoner to look after the other prisoners
4. Because he trusted God to reveal the meaning of the Pharaoh’s dreams, he was put in charge of A LOT.
5. But the biggest OASIS that God sprung out of Joseph’s faithfulness, was near the end of the story. Read on to find out!!

During that time, the surrounding nations were faced with great famine, including Joseph’s homeland… & his family was quickly running out of food. They were desperate.

His family traveled far, to beg for food. And guess where they showed up. I will give you a hint… Joseph was in charge of provisions!

When Joseph saw them arrive, he could have easily whipped out his LONG list of grudges & hurts right then–his wilderness had been extremely rough to live through! But do you know what he did? He kept on trusting God with it all. He was able to feel compassion. He turned his mourning into praise to God. He trusted God no matter the circumstances.

And because of this, God was faithful & He worked through it. And when Joseph’s brothers came begging for food, (having no clue that they were standing in front of their now older brother, doing so!), Joseph was able to show them GRACE.

This new Oasis, brought forth by his ever-trusting heart in the one true God, allowed him the opportunity to rescue his entire family from starvation & death.

A Chance for Grace

His response to their cruelty, when they came begging?

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”
(Genesis 45:4-7) (emphasis added)

Wow. Just WOW.

Joseph ALSO said to them,

“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people.” (Genesis 50:20)

Wow. To have that kind of TRUST!

Reflections from the Wilderness

Looking back, I realize how many opportunities I have lost in not letting God work THROUGH my wilderness. And in the times that I DID trust Him with it, he ALWAYS brought a spring of refreshment & hope & He always worked through it.

I also now realize that God is still choosing to work out of & despite my stubborn refusal to trust Him sooner (took me long enough, right?) through the creation of this Blog. It’s His Grace.

God had compassion on my frustrated cries. He didn’t give up on me, even though I didn’t come to Him right away. He is turning that wilderness into a chance to bless others through this blog.

Coming through my wilderness of loneliness, I was pushed to recognize that women all around the world are facing their own wilderness. I am not the only one! But I want to help change that. I want other women, who may be in a wilderness, to have someone to encourage them as they walk through it. To remind them that there is HOPE in the midst of it. That GOD HAS A PLAN.

My Big WHY

So, that’s my big heart reason for doing this blog. I want to encourage you. And if you are in a wilderness of your own, or even if you just want another woman to come alongside you, I want to be there to loop arms & walk along with you through the trials of life.

I encourage you today, please take a moment to consider your current circumstances. Do you feel in the midst of your own wilderness? Do you feel stuck, underappreciated, hurt, or lost?

Lovely, I encourage you to trust this wilderness to the only One who is capable of springing LIFE into our wilderness. Trust His sustaining power & love. Trust His will & plan. And trust that if He doesn’t remove you from your wilderness, he can spring an Oasis in the midst of it, if you let Him.

So go forth & trust HIM. Shine Hope, Lovelies. Let God shine through YOU in the midst of your wilderness.

A Note from Michelle:

If you want to hear more of my story, check out the About Me & Hope is Found pages, on this site. I hope they are an encouragement to you! <3

Also, make sure to “Join My Tribe” by adding your email to the top bar & clicking “Join My Tribe”. This gains you access to an extra weekly dose of encouragement from me in your inbox, along with the link to each week’s new post! I can’t wait to do this journey together!!

Weekly Special Spotlight:

Each week, I will feature an item that is changing lives around the world, by offering job creation opportunities for women artisans in impoverished nations around the world. Check out this week’s featured beauty!!

Mumbai Earrings Set

Mumbai Earrings Set

Enjoy two pairs of embossed medallion earrings, offering eye-catching style in both silver and gold.

Artisan Information:
The women we partner with in India do so much more than just create beautiful products. With every purchase, another woman is empowered out of poverty to be self-reliant! Women have the opportunity to earn an income, attend financial management classes, and receive education and healthcare. These women are now able to give their family a promising future because of your purchase!

Are you interested in learning how to purchase these beauties AND change lives? Click Here to Learn More & Shop OR, Fill Out the Contact Form on my Connect with Me Page, & I will send you more information personally! Let’s Shine Hope, Lovelies!