Last week I shared how I had carefully mapped out where I believed God wanted us to live. I had the budget. The checklist. The boundaries. I even had a shaded area on my digital map that represented where we would—and absolutely would not—look for our next home. Then Carmen found a listing outside every line I had drawn. Weeki Wachee. Too far. Too risky. Definitely not part of my plan. Reluctantly, I agreed to make the drive. I thought we were simply looking at another house. God knew we were about to discover something much bigger. He was whispering, “This is the way.”
Isaiah 30:21
Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’
Some Places Feel Different
As we pulled into the driveway, my first thought wasn’t, This is perfect.
It was…“This place needs a lot of work.”
Actually, a lot was an understatement. The landscaping, if that’s what you would call it, was overgrown. The house looked tired. Inside, every room revealed another project. Uneven floors. Outdated fixtures. Broken trim work along all the floors and around almost every door.
A ceiling of Styrofoam? Yes…throughout the whole house.
If you looked with practical eyes, you saw work. If you looked with hopeful eyes, you saw possibility. Guess which one Carmen saw?
She wasn’t looking at what the house was. She was imagining what it could become. I’ve learned something over the years. Vision often sees tomorrow while wisdom evaluates today.
God uses both. One without the other rarely builds something lasting.
Then Everything Went Quiet
As we walked through the kitchen, Carmen suddenly stopped. She didn’t say anything. She simply stood there. Then tears began filling her eyes. I’ll admit…My first thought wasn’t exactly spiritual.
“Really? We’re crying already?”
I assumed the amount of work had simply overwhelmed her. Then I followed her eyes. On the wall were these words:
“Life is like a camera. Focus on the positive, develop from the negative, and if things don’t work out, take another shot.”
To anyone else, it may have looked like nothing more than decorative wall art. To Carmen…
It was deeply personal.
Those were the exact words printed on her favorite coffee mug—a gift from our son, Sebastian.
Carmen has always loved photography. Long before digital cameras became the norm, she studied under someone who had once worked alongside the legendary photographer Ansel Adams. Photography wasn’t just a hobby. It was part of who she was.
Standing there in that kitchen, it felt as though God had quietly whispered, “I know you. I know what matters to you. And yes…you’re exactly where I want you to be.”
God Still Speaks Personally
I’ve discovered something about God over the years. He rarely shouts. More often…
He whispers.
Not because He’s trying to make things difficult. But because whispers are for people who are close. Sometimes…
- He uses Scripture.
- A conversation.
- It’s a song on the radio.
- A memory.
- Something as ordinary as words written on a kitchen wall.
To someone else, it may have looked like coincidence. To Carmen…It felt like confirmation. I’ve stopped arguing over whether moments like that are coincidence or divine appointments.
I simply know that God has an incredible way of speaking a language our hearts understand.
The Letter No One Expected
After we toured the house, we headed home to discuss it. Surprise, the next day we submitted our offer. It was a competitive market. Other offers came in. And there were actually higher offers on the table.
On paper, we shouldn’t have gotten the house. Then Carmen did something our Realtor gently discouraged. She wrote a handwritten letter to the seller.
Not about price. Not about square footage. Nor about negotiations.
She wrote about vision. She shared how she saw this property becoming a place where people would find rest, where families would gather, where memories would be made, and where hospitality would flourish.
She told the seller, Laurie, that we wanted to continue loving this place the way she had. Laurie, after all, is the one who bought it after it had been abandoned and became one of the neighborhood “drug houses.” She did what she could to begin restoring it, but it was a huge project.
When the seller read Carmen’s letter, something happened. Despite receiving higher offers…She chose ours.
Why?
Because she wasn’t simply selling property. She was entrusting a dream. And somehow, she recognized that same dream in us.
Looking Back
Looking back now, I smile at how desperately I wanted certainty. I wanted God to give me a map.
Instead…
He gave me enough light for the next step. That’s usually how He works. Rarely does God reveal the entire journey. He simply asks us to trust Him for today’s step.
Then tomorrow’s. Then the next.
If He had shown me everything Chateau Mariposa would become that first day, I probably wouldn’t have believed it. So instead…
He gave us one quiet confirmation at a time. A feeling we couldn’t explain. A quote on a wall. A handwritten letter. A seller’s heart.
Little whispers that eventually became an unmistakable invitation.
Your Everyday Life
Maybe you’re waiting for God to show you what’s next. Maybe you’re looking for a dramatic sign. A booming voice. A burning bush.
What if God is already speaking? Not through fireworks…but through faithful whispers.
Pay attention to the conversations that won’t leave your mind. The Scripture that keeps appearing. The unexpected encouragement from a friend. The quiet peace you can’t explain. The door that opens when every logical reason says it shouldn’t.
God still leads His children.
Sometimes…One whisper at a time. Trust in God. He will never fail!
Challenge of the Week
This week, ask God one simple question: “Lord, help me recognize Your whispers.” Then keep a journal. Write down every unexpected conversation. Every answered prayer, every moment of peace, and every quiet confirmation. You may discover that God has been speaking far more often than you’ve realized. So it is.
Additional Note:
What is your journey like? In this series, my journey started like a parallel journey to the Prodigal Son – Luke 15. Jump in with me to where my journey started and see what your journey looks like as you walk through mine with me. Here are the links where you can go back and jump into the journey with me:
- When Love Found Me – This is the introduction to it all.
- Before Love Found Me – God was pursuing me before I knew it.
- God at a Distance – I was looking in the wrong places.
- When God Broke In – God met me in my brokenness.
- After the Tears – Following Jesus became a shared journey.
- Packing Up Faith – Obedience required leaving the familiar.
- Making Room – God transformed our home into a place where others could encounter His love.
- Trusting God’s Hand – Even when it doesn’t make sense.
- When You Think You Need One More Miracle – and no matter, God does it again!
- From Waiting to Wonder – Sometimes God does His greatest work in places we can’t wait to get out of.
- When God Colors Outside Of The Lines – Creating our own boundaries and limiting God.
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