When Experts Aren't the Experts

God taught us a whole new way of walking by faith when He moved us from Houston to suburbia and into the custom home building business (see last Thursday’s blog “Unbelievable but True: A Trucker’s Road to CEO” http://shaunawallace.blogspot.com/2012/07/unbelievable-but-true-truckers-road-to.html). In doing so, He planted our feet firmly in the starting blocks for the race that lay ahead. The faith it would require. The degree of obedience He would demand. Each lesson merely a beginning. Conditioning for a time when we would need prior experience to move forward with greater faith.

While I lived the start of our business, I was merely a spectator to a most incredible metamorphosis as the Lord birthed in James what was obviously conceived into the very fiber of his being. He did not go to college at all, and his only work experience was trucking. Yet the Lord placed him at the helm of his own custom home building business and harvested what He’d sown in James from the start. James had no training. No schooling in building and construction. He didn’t read any books or attend any classes. Yet, his keen eye to detail and uncanny ability to know how to build a sound home quickly set his houses out from the crowd. His extra touch became his signature. He immediately knew how to watch the numbers, vigilantly reviewing every bid, negotiating, purchasing, and watching expenses. The only explanation is that all that skill and ability was already there.

“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me,

when as yet there were none of them” (Psalm 139:13-14, 16).

Whatever James needed in order to accomplish God’s purpose for him was inherent within him. All God required was faith and obedience. God’s path circumvented the counsel any expert would have insisted was necessary to do what we did.

Psalm 19:7 says, “The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.” Along those same lines, First Corinthians 1:20 tells us, “Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” Verse twenty-seven answers, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” God will do what He’s going to do, challenging the ways of this world to do it.

“We speak wisdom among those who are mature,

yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age,

who are coming to nothing” (1 Corinthians 2:6).

The rulers of this age will tell us and our kids there’s one path to success: theirs. If we don’t follow that course, we won’t be successful. God says the only wisdom we need to heed is His word and His way of doing things. Any other wisdom is coming to nothing. When the world says it’s foolish and stands in opposition to us, it’s going to require faith to move forward God’s way.

When it became obvious to our son that college was not for him, there were people who gently implied it was a mistake, insisting a degree was the only way to a hopeful future. Foregoing higher education flew in the face of “the way it’s done.” Had he followed the world’s way, chances are good it would have come to nothing. But God had other plans. Perfect plans. He started working full time for his dad, attended real estate school, earned his license, and now works his own business on the side, perfectly complimenting the work he does for his dad. No college degree. No prior training. At the age of twenty-three, he has already achieved more than most kids his age who pursued a degree and a white collar career. Not that one is better than the other; one just wasn’t God’s plan for Ryan, and the other didn’t limit his possibilities at all. Once again, I am a spectator as God draws the same vision and attention to detail from Ryan as He did from his dad, perfectly positioning him as an asset to our company, our customers, and his own future. Because of what God did in James, we were able to assure Ryan of His perfect plan for him, even as it defied everything conventional. God’s sovereignty rules, and no amount of wisdom of this age can alter His will. Not for you, and not for your kids.

As our oldest daughter prepares to apply to a four-year university, we can say with confidence that God will open the doors He needs her to walk through for the plan He has for her life. As fellow homeschooling parents consider putting their high school aged children in school because the rulers of this age say a spot in the top ten percent of the class guarantees entrance into any university they want, we can stand in faith that whatever God desires for our daughter is what will prepare her for His plan, and we don’t have to panic that His plan doesn’t fit with those of the world. As my niece struggles to retain a healthy weight and her joy in the face of pressure from school counselors to take advanced classes and already have her major and higher education all planned before she even starts her junior year of high school, she can be assured that God already has it all worked out. She can roll her cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7) because His yoke is easy and His burden is light (Matthew 11:30).

In (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith,

as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,

according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world,

and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of

the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him,

who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:3-4, 6-10).

In Christ, you are already complete. Don’t be deceived! The wisdom of this age and the rulers of this age tell us to trust in ourselves, to do everything their certain way in order to position ourselves for the illusion of their ever-shifting definition of success. Our family is living proof of a God that makes foolish the wise and wise the simple. Our job is to put our faith in Jesus, to seek the Father’s direction through His word, prayer, and others He uses to speak into our lives, and to obey. He has already put in you everything He needs you to have. Whatever HE requires to accomplish His purpose, He will make a way for that to happen in your life. If He doesn’t require it, you don’t need to stress about it.

I pray the Lord strengthens all our faith as we follow Him against the tides of an ever unbelieving society. Lord, give us Your wisdom generously without reproach (James 1:5) as we place our faith in your power (1 Corinthians 2:5) and disregard the wisdom of this world as You accomplish Your plan in each of us. We are wholly Yours, Lord, and place our trust wholly in You.

Shauna Wallace

Holy His

Unbelievable but True: A Trucker's Road to CEO

In Houston, you either live “inside the loop” – a freeway that circles the heart of the city – or you don’t. As a general rule, inner-loopers don’t travel outside the loop. Ever. It’s entirely too far (even if it’s only a few miles). That’s why they live inside the loop – so every urban luxury or necessity they might possibly need is at their fingertips, from their job, to restaurants and the arts, to professional sports and the like.

Our first house was a few blocks outside the loop. While we couldn’t officially claim inner-loop status, we shared the aversion to driving away from the city. When a dear friend and her husband started a church in a suburban town about thirty-five miles north of Houston, I edited a column he wrote for the local newspaper. As I read and revised his drafts, I was drawn the vision God had given him. Late one Saturday night, James and I decided to visit the church. We loaded up the kids the next morning and conquered the forty-five minute road trip to the other side of the world. Driving down a rural, two-lane highway, thick trees hugging both sides of the road (as opposed to concrete and billboards), I elbowed James and joked, “Wouldn’t it be funny if God gave us a couple acres and a house out here?” We laughed it off and went on our merry way.

Several months later, still trekking back and forth to this little town for church Sunday mornings, curiosity drew us to peek around a few neighborhoods, just to see how much houses cost. It became a weekly affair, and before we knew it, we were house hunting. We never would have dreamed of moving out of town. It was too inconvenient! James would have an hour or longer commute with traffic, we would be changing our kids’ schools, moving further from family. Yet we knew God was drawing us to the area. We put that first little house on the market and continued searching for a new abode. Building wasn’t our preference, living so far away. We had no desire at all to tackle that kind of project. But when every resale fell through, it became our only option. God’s hand was clearly shutting and opening doors to lead us to a very specific neighborhood and a very specific builder (remember, we were NOT going to build). But alas, we pre-qualified for a loan, found a plan, and took the plunge.

James developed an almost immediate compulsion to stop at every house he saw at the same stage of construction as ours. It didn’t matter what we were doing, where we were going, what time we had to be there, or who was with us. If we happened upon a new neighborhood with dozens of homes in various stages of construction, we might be there all day! He studied how the houses were being built and the materials used, and then he would research what he saw on the Internet. God opened James’ eyes to an epidemic of cost-saving corner cutting to the detriment and complete ignorance of the customer, and he was determined protect our investment from shady construction practices.

Fast forward to our final walk-through. James was working, so it fell squarely on me to blue tape the house and review the punch list with our superintendent. Standing at the front door, wrapping it up, I asked our superintendent how he got his start in construction. I casually mentioned that I thought James seemed to have a real eye for building, and then completely forgot about it. Never mentioned the conversation to James. Just plowed forward with our move.

That summer, as James delivered freight in the thick of Houston’s July inferno, no air conditioning and extremely long days drained him physically. One day, the Lord spoke to him. Not audibly, but clearly. He told him to build a house, told him exactly how to do it and who to do it with. James called the superintendent who built our house earlier that year, acknowledged that what he had to say might sound crazy, and then proceeded to tell him what the Lord said. The guy’s answer: “I’ve been waiting for you to call!”

Laying in bed that night, we dreamed up a name for our new company: Possibility Custom Homes (www.possibilitycustomhomes.com if you want to check it out). Our business plan? Let’s build a house, do it the right way, price it fair, and see if it sells. That was it. We didn’t even write it down. We formed an agreement with our former superintendent to work with us, incorporated, hired a graphic designer to design our logo, signage, and business materials, and bought Quick Books. We found our first piece of property, chose a plan we thought someone might love, secured a second loan (remember, we had only had our new, improved, much larger mortgage for about six months), and construction commenced. We were in business!

Second Corinthians 5:7 tells us, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” That was certainly true for us! James drove a truck for a living. I sold makeup. We didn’t know what would happen. The only experience we had was building our own house. There were no guarantees. What if the house didn’t sell and we couldn’t make the payments on the construction loan? What if James was laid off or my sales dropped? What if our superintendent bailed? What if we lost both houses? When doubts assailed us, God’s peace assured us. We placed our faith in Him and took each next step as He laid it before us.

A month before the house was complete, it sold. Shortly after closing, we started our second spec. A casual conversation with a friend led to an Associated Press newswire story that went nationwide. Area newspapers and our local Fox television station ran the story, telling of a small builder in a little town who was building its houses on the word of God, literally. Starting with our very first house, we buried a Bible in every foundation. Not as a marketing ploy, but as a reminder to us, with every house, that He is the foundation of all we do. As Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” We never advertise it. We simply tell our homeowners right before we do it and invite them to join us as we pray a blessing over their home.

For fifteen months, James drove a truck full time, including overtime. As a sales director, my home-based business required more than forty hours a week, and I was still new to home schooling our oldest daughter. Our superintendent kept his daytime job, as well. We worked all hours weekdays and weekends. It was a crazy time. I thank God for His grace! It is most definitely the only thing sufficient. When it became obvious that James could no longer maintain two pursuits, we faced another huge step of faith. In order to continue growing our new company, James clearly had to give up our only source of guaranteed income and benefits (read security). It was time to place our eggs in the basket God held in His hand. We had only built two houses at the time, but the Lord was beginning to bring us contracts from those homes. He gave us the faith to take the leap, and we never looked back, no matter what others thought.

I am so in awe of God every time I remember and retell this story! It has amazed many, especially those who know where we started: tens of thousands of dollars in debt, living paycheck to paycheck, blending two families, marriage falling apart, miserable. He took us head first into the unknown as He increased our faith to move us forward even when circumstances looked impossible. As we learned obedience and contentment and actively trusted God in all things, HE changed our lives, our marriage, our family, our work, and our lifestyle into something unrecognizable.

Eight years and roughly eighty houses later, I share our story here so you can see God – Who He is and what He is capable of doing. The truth of His word. His power to circumvent the wisdom of this age and the rulers of this age to accomplish His will. His power to transform a truck driver into a CEO, seemingly overnight.

As amazing as the facts of our story may be, they pale in comparison to what I have to share with you Thursday. Lessons He taught us about the indisputable principles that govern our walk with Him.

It is my deepest desire that we walk the Word in every area of our lives. I thank the Lord for His faithfulness to keep each one of His children on a path toward Him as we become more wholly His today.

Shauna Wallace

Holy His