I was SO EXCITED for the upgrade when we got our downstairs flooring done a few years ago.
I couldn’t wait!
Until the process started and I realized that we’d have to basically live upstairs with small children for the week.
The upstairs hallway was lined with snacks, drinks, toys, my laptop, puzzles, games, garbage bags… anything I could think of.
(Because of course it was also super rainy and cold for those days, so park visits were suddenly out of the question.)
EVERYTHING WAS A MESS.
Upstairs, downstairs, the garage that had basically become a temporary storage unit for everything… all of it.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard plenty of times that it’s easier to feel the Spirit in clean and orderly places than messy ones.
This was the thought running through my mind one evening as I sat, exhausted, and looked at the chaos.
I just wanted a clean home where I could feel peace!
“Heavenly Father,” I pleaded. “There’s no way I can get this house clean right now.”
Almost immediately, I was filled with this calming peace.
I felt a strong spiritual presence, and I felt like everything was okay.
Here’s what I know:
God doesn’t wait until our house or our room is clean until He speaks to us.
When we see Jacob wandering in a wilderness and making a pillow out of stones, this is where the Lord visits him and blesses him with great power.
And Jacob’s response? “Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.” (Genesis 28:16).
The Lord is wherever His righteous people are, whether they are sleeping on stones, or whether their house is covered in dust, crumbs, and toys.
The Lord can be anywhere, as long as we take a moment to look for Him.
Happy Studying!
-Cali Black




