Those words woke me from sleep.
I don't remember seeing a person speaking them. I don't remember seeing a map or a destination. I only remember the instruction.
Get ready.
Pack light.
Keep your eye on Charleston.
When I shared the dream with my husband, something in both of us resonated with it. We couldn't explain it, but we felt a stirring. A preparation. A sense that God was doing something.
So we did what many people do when they believe they've heard from God.
We started filling in the blanks.
By April of 2023, we had purchased a camper for $150. Most people thought we were crazy. If I'm being honest, they weren't entirely wrong. The camper was rough. It needed work. A lot of work.
But we gutted it.
Cleaned it.
Rebuilt it using materials we already had.
We packed light.
We reduced.
We prepared.
And we convinced ourselves we were getting ready for wherever God was taking us.
Then came my stress leave from work.
Then came the trip.
Ten days. Eleven days. Driving. Exploring. Searching. Trying to figure out where God was leading us next.
At the time, I thought answering God's call meant figuring out the destination.
Now I wonder if I had it backwards.
Looking back, I can see something I couldn't see then.
God had spoken.
But I had interpreted.
There is a difference.
God said, "Get ready."
I heard, "Move."
God said, "Pack light."
I heard, "Sell what you can."
God said, "Keep your eye on Charleston."
I heard, "Charleston is where we're going."
The truth is, God never said any of those things.
I filled in the blanks.
Thankfully, God is far more patient than we are.
Even when our understanding is incomplete, He still teaches us through the journey.
Proverbs tells us:
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5)
I thought I was trusting Him.
In reality, I was often trusting my interpretation of what He said.
Those are not always the same thing.
The funny thing is that after all of the searching, all of the traveling, all of the planning, and all of the trying to figure things out, we eventually found ourselves right here in Hart.
The place where God would continue healing us.
The place where He would grow us.
The place where He would reveal more of His purpose.
The place where many of the tools now found in my backpack would be gathered.
I spent a long time wondering if we had somehow missed it.
Maybe we took a wrong turn.
Maybe we misunderstood.
Maybe we failed.
But over time, I began to realize something.
The trip wasn't wasted.
The preparation wasn't wasted.
The camper wasn't wasted.
The lesson wasn't about geography.
The lesson was about obedience.
Abraham was called before he knew where he was going.
Moses was called before he knew how God would use him.
Peter was called before he understood what following Jesus would cost him.
God often gives enough light for the next step, but not enough light for the entire journey.
That requires trust.
And trust is often learned in motion.
To this day, I still don't know exactly what Charleston meant.
Perhaps it was a city.
Perhaps it was a person.
Perhaps it was something I have yet to encounter.
Or perhaps it was simply a symbol.
I once looked up the meaning of Charleston and discovered it could be understood as "the town of the free man" or "a place of freedom."
Whether that interpretation is correct or not, I hold it loosely.
But I do find it interesting.
Because if there is one thing God has been teaching me throughout this journey, it is freedom.
Freedom from addiction.
Freedom from fear.
Freedom from shame.
Freedom from striving.
Freedom from needing to have all the answers before taking the next step.
Maybe that is why the instruction wasn't to go to Charleston.
Maybe the instruction was simply to keep my eyes on freedom while He taught me how to travel.
One thing I know for certain is this:
Answering God's call is not the same thing as understanding God's plan.
Sometimes He tells us to get ready.
Sometimes He tells us to pack light.
Sometimes He only gives us enough information for the next step.
And sometimes the greatest lesson is learning to stop filling in the blanks.
The Christian journey is not about arriving somewhere comfortable and staying there.
It is about continuing to walk.
To listen.
To trust.
To follow.
Again and again.
Through wilderness seasons.
Through promised lands.
Through victories and valleys.
Until the day we finally arrive home.
So if God has spoken something to your heart and you don't yet understand it, don't panic.
Don't force His hand.
Don't rush ahead of Him.
Sit with Him.
Seek Him.
Ask for wisdom.
Then take the next step He has clearly placed before you.
The destination will reveal itself in time.
Until then, keep walking.
Companion Thought:
The call comes first; the details come later. Remember, answering God's call is not the same thing as understanding His plan.
Let's learn to wait for instructions in Chronicle #11