I’ve had the opportunity to move down to Galveston, Texas! Yes — the so-called “armpit of America” with its brown water and slightly crusty feel. (If you’re from South Texas, you know what I’m talking about.) But to me, Galveston has become a hidden gem — an oasis in this season of life. I’ll share more about that in upcoming journal entries.

As a beach girl, I’ve always dreamed of living on the coast of California or Florida. But for now, that’s not where God has called me. This move to Galveston has been a personal roller coaster, and I want to bring you along for the ride. Transition is never easy, but this one has been uniquely different.

At the beginning of summer, I had no idea this would actually happen. I was working part-time at a church as an intern and part-time as a barista at a coffee shop — two of my favorite things. I loved them both. Yet deep down, I knew God was calling me to something more. He was birthing a new thing in me and around me, inviting me into His plans and purposes for my life.

Because God loves to give us promises, He also gives us processes to prepare us for them. Without the process, we couldn’t handle the promise.

God’s Pattern of Process

We see this pattern all throughout Scripture — God choosing ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. One example that has stood out to me is the Israelites’ journey into the Promised Land.

Their transition began with the promise God gave Abraham in Genesis 12. Fast-forward to the book of Joshua, and we find God appointing Joshua to succeed Moses and lead His people into that land. During Moses’s leadership, what should have been an 11-day journey stretched into 40 years wandering in the wilderness, and even then, the fulfillment didn’t come without opposition. Once Joshua led the people in, they still had to face the mighty walls of Jericho.

During that time, Joshua faithfully walked through his own process — serving alongside Moses for four decades before stepping into his calling. He saw the cloud and fire of God’s presence, ate manna from Heaven, fought battles, spied out the Promised Land, and watched Moses meet with God on Mount Sinai and in the tent of meeting. Joshua’s process was intense, but it prepared him perfectly to lead God’s people into the promise and remain steadfast in faithfulness. Most importantly, it didn’t happen overnight.

My Own Process

The beauty of God is that everyone’s process looks different. This past year has been one of the hardest of my life — not necessarily outwardly, but inwardly. God has been addressing the parts of my heart that don’t yet look like Him: disappointment, unmet expectations, unbelief, identity, wounds that need healing, and questions about His character.

He has met me in every one of those places. Without this heart work, I doubt I’d be ready for this transition now. As much as we care about the promise, God cares about the process that leads us there. He’s a promise keeper. He never changes. He always keeps His word. He’s a good Father who loves to give perfect gifts, and He knows our weaknesses. That’s why we need His grace.

I’m still very much in this process. We’ll never fully “arrive” until we’re face-to-face with Jesus. But each day He reminds me that His grace is sufficient. That’s where I stop fighting the process and lean into it. In doing so, I discover sides of God I never knew before.

So today, I thank God for the process — for showing me that the greatest promise is actually knowing Him. And that’s all I ever truly needed.

With love, hav