Returning to Kentucky, I packed up what I could put in my car and drove to Redding, California, stopping to see friends all along the way. When I arrived at the house where I would house sit, I was amazed that one whole wall of their house was one large window from which I could see the Trinity Alps to the left, and to the right I saw Mt. Shasta. What a view, and what a beautiful home!
God had a plan, but it was not for my business. In fact, I was there in Redding for six months, and the first five months I only grossed $300. Redding had been called Poverty Flats a few years prior, and it was a very poor town. I was not able to get any work until the last month that I was there. As I said, it wasn’t for the business that I went there but to be exposed to something that I had never been around much in all the churches that I had been involved with. I wanted to explore prophetic ministry. I won’t take the time to go into all the adventures that I had, but needless to say, I came to deeply appreciate the prophetic gifts and how valuable they are for churches to offer.
I was living in Redding but making no money, so I began to pray and ask the Lord what He wanted me to do. I then received a phone call from Gayle Haggard, Ted Haggard’s wife. She had decided to have a conference in August and wanted me to speak. This was February, and I sensed that the Lord was getting me ready to move to Colorado Springs. Even though Redding was beautiful, I did not like living there. Many facets of California I did not enjoy, especially the weather, and I was looking forward to moving somewhere else in the west. When that phone call came in from Gayle my spirits lifted.
As I mentioned this was February, and I wasn’t to speak in Colorado until August, some six months later. But God had another surprise waiting just around the corner. In March Gayle’s secretary called and said that Gayle wanted me to speak in August as planned, but she also wanted me to speak to 300 leaders’ wives in April. I agreed to do that, and as I hung up the phone, the Lord spoke very clearly and said, “Sue, that change of date is very significant for you.” Of course, I had no way of knowing that Ted Haggard would fall from the leadership of that church, and that if I hadn’t spoken in April and then August I would have never moved to Colorado so soon. If I had only spoken in August, I would not have moved to the church so soon, perhaps not at all. Pastor Haggard resigned on November 1st. But because I had spoken in April, and Gayle then asked the church to hire me to train most of the church staff, I had the chance to fall in love with Colorado and the church and the staff. I flew back to Redding, left the house, and drove to Kentucky, to quickly pack my bags. Putting everything back in my car, I moved to Colorado.
Isn’t God good? He knows our schedules even better than we do. He knows our future, and He is in control. What an assurance to know that you and I have a heavenly Father that cares about every detail of our lives.
Having spoken to the leader’s wives in April, I met a new friend there who offered her 2400 square foot apartment for me to live in free of charge for as long as needed. What a gift. God “suddenly” moved me to Redding and just as “suddenly” transferred me to Colorado. I was finally settled and felt that now I was truly in the west. I loved every minute of this new adventure.
“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.”
—11 Cor. 4:7