Interpretation of words

Prophecy that speaks of our enlarged, brighter future is not too difficult to accept, and of course even easier to ‘weigh’! A while back we were given a word about property and how it would be bigger than we were thinking with more space to do certain things and to have space for others. A great word as we were aware that to get property in that location would be quite a challenge. The word spoken carried weight.

We are (hopefully) closer now than ever to the realisation of that possibility and if certain things work out the end-result will be a place smaller than we were originally aiming for! If it comes to pass, was the word wrong, or did we miss things along the way through a lack of response? Of course both or one of those elements could be correct, but we have become so aware that a word releases expectations based on one’s understanding at the time. The final fulfilment is often different and is part of what God uses to re-educate us.

We came to this area to look for property at the end of 2013 following a dream Gayle had of us living in ‘Calle Azahar’. Azahar, at the time, was an unknown to us Spanish word meaning ‘orange blossom’. After researching Azahar streets in Spain (including visiting some) we understood that we were to be looking along Costa Azahar and drove much of it over four days looking for a connection. We found nothing till we came to the end of those days and came to our current location. The next morning I woke early with the conviction we would put an offer on three places, the third one would be accepted, and that it would be a grace package. I understood this to mean that each offer would be higher than the one before. So eventually the final offer would cost more than we would be comfortable with.

My previous understanding of ‘grace package’ would have been that it would cost us less that we thought. And that is not an unreasonable interpretation, but in this case the opposite was to be our expectation. I did not understand it at the time, but shared it with Gayle. We did offer on three places, including making an offer of the asking price on the second property! The agent we worked with said that in 14 years he had not come across the response we were getting. The offer on the third place was 70% higher than the offer on the first place. The third offer was also initially refused, but we let it hang there for a few weeks. In that time of waiting we had a call from Michael Schiffmann who explained that there were three angels ready to work with us for different purposes. We connected with the one that was going to enable us to leave Cádiz and within the hour the phone rang. The agent said I don’t know what has happened but you have the property.

In that experience we had to understand and embrace that a ‘grace package’ for us in that situation meant it would cost us more than we had thought. The emptier our pockets were the more we would need God’s grace provision. Our expectation had to change, and so the interpretation changed.

I think there are words we miss because we cannot allow our expectations to change and receive a fulfilment different to what we expected. Re-education is so necessary.

‘Property that will give you a larger space than you are thinking…’ We have confronted the Mammon issue. Mammon declares who can do what, who can live where, and apparently Mammon has not been keen to let us enter certain doors. We had one slammed on our faces at the turn of the year. Since then our prayer became – space, Lord, just a gap we can squeeze into… Prayers reflect what is changing in us; they can also help lead us in a direction. ‘Space Lord, just a gap…’ maybe began as a response to the door slammed. Maybe our faith took a knock, but the prayer has enlarged over the weeks. ‘Just a space, a hole, a gap… so that we will have a leverage point to make space for those who need space in the city.

Huge shifts take place from the smallest of places. Leverage points. Signs that point beyond themselves to a reality, and signs that draw the reality they point to into the location where the sign is.

Maybe we are missing it, maybe we are those of little faith, but our conviction is from a small space we can open space way beyond what we were originally thinking. Even if we are now wrong in that interpretation, any prophecy that speaks of blessing, enlargement etc., will see us blessed (God is good and generous) but the desired outcome in the heart of God is that through us for others. The very process of ‘through’ will enrich us. God does not use someone as an uncared for channel, but as a deeply cared for person he goes beyond them to enrich others.

We are looking to a soon fulfilled word… and fulfilled with space beyond what we were thinking, but we will turn to thank God whatever the size of our ‘property’ when we see those who need space find space. Fulfilments beyond what we were thinking before receiving a word and fulfilments beyond former expectations of what that word meant.