How have I experienced God's guidance

Today, someone asked me in a comment how I came to realise that God wants me to carry out the ship project and that it is God’s will.

As I’m sure quite a few more people will be interested in the answer, I’m posting it here again:

Gifts and vocations

God’s guidance for me naturally has to do with my gifts and my calling. I’m good at supporting people. I have a „natural talent“ for it, and I’ve developed and strengthened this through a great deal of further training. The gifts that God has bestowed upon us are always a calling as well. That is why this has been – and remains – the foundation: I am called to strengthen and support people. I want to help them live their lives with greater strength and their faith with greater joy.

Stage of life – parenthood

The stage of life also played a part. It is part of natural development that, in life, one first receives and later wishes to pass things on. In my case, I had harboured a desire for over 10 years to be able to have a more profound influence on people and to support them. I do not have any biological children – yet the desire to experience motherhood and to have a deeper impact on (young) people was, and still is, there. As early as 1999, I felt the desire to create a place where people could live with us for a while. That was simply a vision of how I could put my general calling (shaping people’s lives, motherhood) into practice. The dream had been in my heart for over 12 years.

Implementation – practical arrangements

And finally, the idea took shape. I’d been looking for a long time for a flat where I could make this happen; I’d always dreamt of living by the water. But all my plans fell through. Then I read about houseboats in a magazine… and thought… “That would be even better – but unaffordable.“ Through a guided tour, I then met a boat builder who was able to carry out a complete refurbishment of the vessel and who also saw it as his calling. And I found a boat that I fell in love with and which perfectly suited my purpose, my ideas and my budget.

Confirmation

As a final test before I finally decided to go ahead with the project in April 2012, I put the finances in God’s hands. I needed 50,000 euros in start-up capital for the basic refurbishment, which I didn’t have. I asked God to provide it as a sign of His approval, through interest-free loans and gifts. When I had raised the money within 14 days, I said „yes“, bought the ship and started the renovation.

I’ve found that the very fact that I’ve taken on this project has encouraged many people to take a chance and pursue their own dreams. That, too, is a source of encouragement for me.

Despite all these things, I don’t have absolute certainty that this project is God’s will. I’ve never received a letter from heaven. Or heard a voice telling me: „Kertin, do this!“ I can see that it aligns with my gifts, this stage of my life, and the dreams that lie dormant within me; and – despite all the challenges – it has been confirmed in practice. And I feel a sense of peace. And since God also says that He guides us through His peace, I assume that I am on the right path. And – even if I were to have got it wrong and it weren’t God’s idea but „just“ mine, I wouldn’t find that terribly bad. My God is a good Father. And if I were to be mistaken – to the best of my knowledge and belief – He would still guide me well through it.