I had never had the slightest desire to live in Phoenix, Arizona. I don't even particularly like deserts: They're hot and dry and full of weird little critters that can ruin a good day. My wife had even put her job at Intel on the line a couple of times by refusing to go to Phoenix for meetings.
We were living in Sacramento, California. We lived in a 5 bedroom home, packed with furniture, quite a lot of it valuable antiques.
I had been an independent software-programming consultant for about six years by this time. A few months into 1995, my wife and I had agreed that I would quit working fulltime. Somehow we felt this was a time of reassessment, a time of restlessness, seeking God's will and waiting - for what we did not know.
I was spending the bulk of each day in my upstairs office, praying, reading the Word or just sitting in the presence of God. What the Bible calls "waiting on God". I wasn't seeking direction as much as just a deeper relationship with the Lord.
One day, in late 1995, while just quietly basking in the sense of God's presence, I heard Him speak to my spirit. There was no audible voice but I recognized the voice of my "shepherd". What He told me stunned me.
He said, "Get rid of everything but what will fit in the trunk of a car,"
My initial reaction was to discount it totally as my own foolishness; perhaps trying to get Him to say something. I didn't know. Anyway, I disregarded it.
The next day, the same thing happened, this time stronger and more imperative. I recognized it was God but it scared me to death.
The next day, the same thing. By now, I knew I couldn't just ignore it but there was still a bit of skepticism. It didn't make any sense.
I went downstairs and called my wife into the living room.
I said, "Honey, I'm not sure if this is the Lord or me but I need to tell you something. I believe the Lord has told me we are to get rid of everything except what will fit in the trunk of a car."
She laughed and cried at the same time and said, "Thank God," she said. "He told me that two weeks ago but I was afraid to say anything."
We were scared, I can tell you. Not only were we talking about over $25,000 in the furniture we had accumulated but the only car we owned at the time was a 1971 Fiat Spider 850 - which had no trunk
Well, we prayed about it and we truly felt a peace that this was, indeed, what God had told us.
My thinking was simple: "Sell everything. That is the way God has ordained to bless our finances for whatever He is moving us toward." My wife had other ideas. She wanted to give everything away!
This disagreement almost cost us our marriage of 32 years. Finally, after much prayer and heart-searching, I went to her one day and said, "Honey, I'm sorry. I bought all these things for you and they are yours to do with as you please."
Well, she was gracious enough to give me a bunch of stuff to sell via garage sales (about $900) and gave the rest away. The only thing we kept besides some clothing and some books were a few boxes of personal papers, which we put in storage.
I had to get back to work. Our savings were about gone. Two of the agencies I had worked with in San Francisco said they had jobs for me.
One agency in Phoenix did, also, but I had no desire to move to Phoenix. Besides, they were offering one-half the money I was making in California.
I didn't know what to do except pray, which we did for a week, and wait for an interview and job offer.
At the beginning of the next week, mid-January, 1996, both California jobs were cancelled for lack of budget and, the same day, I received a firm offer from Phoenix. I took the Phoenix job (which was a 6-month contract). My wife and I packed up and flew to Phoenix the next day.
An agency representative met us at the airport and drove us to a motel. We had rented an apartment by telephone and would be moving in the next day. At the motel, the agency representative got out and opened the trunk of her car.
Suddenly, I was trying hard not to cry. I grabbed my wife by the waist, and asked, "What do you see?"
She looked puzzled for a moment and then she began to tear up. "Everything we own in the trunk of a car!"
We spent the next 4-1/2 years in Phoenix, working steadily. Within six months, the Lord had increased my salary by 100 percent and led us to the church where we became active in ministry...
...and He is not done yet.
