Have you ever been excited about something…Only to watch someone else’s reaction quietly steal your joy? Maybe it was a new business. A ministry. A career change. Or a move. Or even a dream God placed on your heart. This happens when seeing what others can’t.
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
You couldn’t wait to tell people. Then they looked at you…with that look. You know the one. It doesn’t need words. It simply says,
“You’re doing…what?”
I’ve discovered something over the years. God often gives you the vision…long before He gives everyone else the ability to see it.
The Key Didn’t Unlock a House
The day after closing, Carmen and I drove to our new home with one key in hand. She held it like it was made of gold.
For several seconds she simply stared at it before quietly saying, “Can you believe this?” I smiled. “Nope…but let’s do this.”
Together we walked to the front door. The key slid into the lock. It turned. The old door opened with one long dramatic creak, as if it had been waiting years for someone to walk through it again.
Sunlight streamed through dusty windows. The house smelled like old wood, humidity, and decades of stories. Then came the moment every newly married couple dreams about. I scooped Carmen into my arms to carry her across the threshold.
At least…that was the plan.
Instead, I caught my foot on the little step—and the welcome mat that appropriately read, “Bless This Mess.”
For one terrifying second, I thought I was going to drop her. She squealed. I laughed. By the time I regained my balance, we were both laughing so hard tears were running down our faces.
Looking back…It may have been the most fitting welcome we could have received. Because that house truly was…a blessed mess.
Everyone Saw the House
As we walked from room to room, reality settled in.
- Peeling paint.
- Cracked drywall.
- Broken doors.
- Outdated bathrooms.
- Worn-out floors.
- An overgrown yard.
Everywhere we looked…there was another project waiting. The to-do list seemed endless.
If someone had walked through that house with a contractor’s eyes, they would have seen expense after expense. If they walked through with practical eyes…they would have questioned our sanity.
But Carmen wasn’t seeing the house. She…
- was seeing what it could become.
- wasn’t imagining cracked walls.
- imagined conversations around a fire pit.
- wasn’t focused on peeling paint.
- envisioned guests finding rest.
- wasn’t looking at an old fixer-upper.
- saw Chateau Mariposa long before it had a name.
I’ve learned that vision has a way of seeing tomorrow while everyone else is still staring at today.
The Tour That Broke Her Heart
Not long after we bought the house, we invited our friends, a couple we were close to, over to see it. We were excited. Almost giddy.
As we walked them around the property, we shared our dreams.
“This is where we’ll create a garden.”
“Here’s where the fire pit will go.”
“Can you imagine people gathering here?”
Everything felt wonderful. Until we stepped inside. At first they were polite. Then I noticed the expressions. Eyes getting wider. Longer pauses. Less conversation.
By the end of the tour, their faces seemed to ask the question they were trying too hard not to say.
“You bought…this?”
After they left, I found Carmen standing quietly in the corner. She wasn’t angry, nor frustrated. She was crying. “They don’t see it,” she whispered.
“They can’t see what I see.”
My heart broke for her. Not because our friends had done anything wrong. They simply saw what was standing in front of them. Carmen was seeing something that didn’t exist…yet.
I wrapped my arms around her and quietly said, “It will be okay, Babe. They don’t have to see it yet. One day…they will.”
Faith Sees Beyond Today
As I look back now, I realize that moment had very little to do with a house. It had everything to do with faith. Faith doesn’t deny reality. Faith simply believes reality isn’t the end of the story.
The writer of Hebrews says in 11:1,
“Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
That’s exactly what Carmen was living. She wasn’t pretending the house wasn’t broken. She simply believed brokenness wasn’t permanent. Isn’t that how God sees us?
Most people see our flaws, failures, and unfinished places. God sees who we’re becoming. He sees restoration before renovation ever begins. He sees purpose beneath the peeling paint. And thank goodness He does.
Your Everyday Life
Maybe God has placed a dream in your heart that no one else understands.
- A ministry.
- A business.
- A calling.
- A step of faith.
Maybe the people closest to you have looked at your dream with puzzled expressions. That’s okay. Not everyone has to see what God has shown you.
Noah built an ark before anyone believed rain was coming. Nehemiah looked at broken walls and saw a restored city. David looked at a shepherd’s staff while God saw a king.
God often gives vision to one person before He reveals it to everyone else. If He’s placed something in your heart…Don’t lose courage simply because others can’t see it yet. Let it be your prayer, “God, build my life.”
Challenge of the Week
Ask yourself this question this week: What dream has God placed in my heart that I’ve been tempted to abandon because others don’t understand it? Write it down. Pray over it. Then ask God for the courage to keep building—even if you’re the only one who can see what He’s creating. Because one day…Others may look at the finished masterpiece…But you’ll remember when all anyone else could see was the mess. So be it.
Picture of the Chateau after restoration…
Book a stay at the Chateau Mariposa- Go to ChateauMariposa.com now!
Additional Note:
What is your journey like? My journey started like a parallel journey to the Prodigal Son – Luke 15. Jump in my journey with me and see what your journey looks like as we walk life together. 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 what, 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.
- This Is The Way – God is whispering to you, “This is the way, follow Me.”
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