A coastal wind ruffled my hair as I sat outside our small stucco tract house in Lompoc, California, and I wondered for the millionth time if we should move. The house seemed to squeeze tighter around us as our three active sons, ages thirteen, ten and six, kept growing.<\/p>\n
I longed for more room. My husband Patrick and I often looked at larger homes, yearning yet hesitant. The question hounded me again: Should we try to move?<\/em><\/p>\n I prayed for guidance. While reading my Bible one day my heart quickened when I came across Psalm 18:19 (NIV), which read, \u201cHe brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.\u201d Did I dare believe what I sensed God was telling me? My heart said yes, and I wrote in the margin, \u201cDecember 2, 1987\u2014God\u2019s promise to me for a spacious home.\u201d<\/p>\n More than three years later I was wondering if I had misunderstood. The year before, we had tried to buy a larger home contingent on selling ours, but our house wouldn\u2019t budge. After discovering a new home for sale, we decided to try again.<\/p>\n In spite of our efforts, the For Sale sign stubbornly remained. No one could understand it, least of all me. After all, God had given me a promise\u2014hadn\u2019t He?<\/p>\n Evening strolls with my friend Arlene provided welcome diversion. During one brisk walk Arlene abruptly stopped and squealed with delight. \u201cLook,\u201d she exclaimed, \u201ca penny!\u201d<\/p>\n I laughed. \u201cArlene, I\u2019ve never seen anyone get so excited over finding a penny.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, but it\u2019s not just a penny,\u201d she explained. \u201cMy grandma taught me that every time I find a penny to think about the inscription on it, \u2018In God We Trust.\u2019 It\u2019s my special reminder from God to trust Him.\u201d<\/p>\n I smiled as she pocketed the coin and we continued our walk. Surprisingly, not long afterward I began to find pennies myself\u2014on the sidewalk and in parking lots. Lord, are these from You?<\/em> I thought. Yet the tedious routine of cleaning for open houses and impromptu showings dragged on for months with no offers.<\/p>\n Our real-estate agent was as baffled as we were. We agreed to drop the asking price well below market value. Still nothing happened. Weary in spirit, Patrick and I went for an evening walk. I had told him about Arlene and her pennies, and how since then I had been finding the coppery coins myself.<\/p>\n When Patrick spied a penny a split second before I did, he scooped it up. He teased me when I whined that the penny he had picked up was mine. \u201cNope, this one\u2019s mine,\u201d he said with a grin. Inwardly I complained, I know it\u2019s silly, Lord, but I really needed that penny tonight<\/em>.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t understand why this is taking so long. I still felt disgruntled later when I started to transfer a load of laundry into the dryer. The clothes were strictly underwear and socks, so I was amazed when a shiny penny appeared amid the pocketless clothing. It was as if God had wrapped His arms around me and whispered, \u201cI haven\u2019t forgotten you. Just keep trusting Me.\u201d<\/p>\n As our housing problem continued, I reluctantly listened to Patrick\u2019s suggestion that we consider moving to a rural area in northern California. His job with the California Highway Patrol allowed for statewide transfers.<\/p>\n We had already planned to make such a move when Patrick approached retirement, because his seniority would guarantee our choice then. Now I balked at the thought of leaving our friends and church and my school library job. Yet I sensed an unmistakable peace as we chose towns to visit during our June vacation.<\/p>\n