Jesus Corner

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

The summer before God turned the VanderVennen’s world upside down, Mrs. VanderVennen knew something was up. God had a trick up His sleeve, but she wasn’t sure quite what that was yet. So she and her husband decided to wait and see.
It seemed rather strange when that following winter, God kicked off his incredible plan with the ‘winter that wasn’t.’ There was practically no snow, which turned into a bit of a problem considering Mr. VV worked as a landscaper who plowed in the winter. And so, despite being a foreman, Mr. VV got laid off. At first, it seemed like just a temporary thing—a couple of weeks, max. But weeks turned into months, and with Mrs. VanderVennen being a stay at home mom, the family had to rely on unemployment and the support of their church to put food on the table. Then Mrs. VV got a job as a substitute teacher, and it seemed like God was providing. But as winter stretched into spring and landscaping started up again, Mr. VV never got the call to return to work. He started looking for other options, and soon it seemed like he had found a good work opportunity through a church friend. So they jumped in headfirst, as anyone would do in that situation.
And it turned out to be a horrible mistake.
This job was not a good work environment at all, and Mr. VV knew it right away. He and his wife began to understand that this decision wasn’t right, and that they had rushed in a little too quick, not pausing to ask God for advice. Mr. VV continued to stick with it anyway, but despair settled into their lives. Their sleep was restless as summer rolled in, and they struggled to balance providing for their four children with the mental health of Mr. VanderVennen.
The tipping point came when 8 year old Hayley, intuitive as ever, asked her mom what was wrong. It was clear even to a child that something was off within their family, and it became obvious Mr. VanderVennen shouldn’t go back to work.
So now they were back in the same unemployment situation they were before. Mr. VV knew it was time to start looking for jobs outside of their community, and Mrs. VV agreed—as long as it wasn’t in Michigan. So he looked and looked, continually coming up empty on a job that could provide for his family. So again Mrs. VV agreed to let him widen his search, even into Indiana (which was only a ten minute drive)—as long as it wasn’t in Michigan.
When this situation dragged on for six long months, Mrs. VV was finally stretched to the end of her rope. So she walked into her living room late one night and began talking to Jesus, confused, angry, and hurt.

“I’ve served you my whole life and now you’re nowhere.”

And so she had it out with God—full, Old Testament Jacob style wrestling. She talked to Him honestly, angrily, not hiding the things she was feeling because, as she said, our God’s shoulders are big, and he can handle our emotions, even the difficult ones.
When her anger was released and all her feelings were out in the open before God, He spoke. He asked her to get out of the boat. He asked her to follow him. And despite all her fears, despite feeling like she didn’t have enough faith, despite being broken, she said yes. She agreed to get out of the boat, already knowing what that would mean.
She called Mr. VV that afternoon with the news that it was time to move to Michigan. He was incredibly surprised. What could have happened to change her stubborn mind? So she explained, and he said he was willing to talk about it.
Let’s pause for a minute here and set the scene: It was August, so school in Illinois was about to start very soon. Mrs. VV’s whole family lived nearby. They were happy with their church and heavily involved—Mrs. VV was a 20 year praise band member and leader of Sunday school. The VanderVennen kids went to the same school Mrs. VV went to growing up, and they loved their neighborhood. Everything seemed perfect, right?
Yet as soon as Mrs. VV said yes to God and agreed to get out of the boat, everything she loved started to feel like an itchy sweater where everything is cozy and warm at first, but then it starts to get all scratchy and uncomfortable. Although she might not have noticed at the time, God was preparing her to say goodbye. She was naturally beginning to separate. It didn’t mean it was easy to say goodbye however, especially to her family.
But they still went. No bargaining allowed. No if, ands, or buts.
Just yes.
They packed up their house in just 9 days and moved in with Mr. VV’s parents until they could find their own place.
9 days.
They arrived in Michigan the same day of West Side’s back to school night, and as Mrs. VV was standing on the playground watching the kids play, the hugeness of what they’d done started to sink in. Her kids used to go to a school that was 96% African American—Mrs. VV could always find her kids at any event—and now her children were lost among a sea of white people. Mr. VV was running around meeting up with old friends, but she didn’t know another person there.
For two weeks, Mrs. VV cried when she dropped her kids off at school. Without a church, home, school community or a job for her or her husband, she felt a little lost.

They said yes—no guarantees, no bargains.

For the first year, there were moments of strong faith and moments of being stretched incredibly thin. Living in their parents’ basement—literally—brought on depression. It took almost an entire year for Mrs. VV to feel like she had a purpose again. It wasn’t until she became a substitute teacher again, her children began to find friends, and they found a church.
One full year.
But Mr. VV still couldn’t find a job, so he ended up working at CCHS as a janitor. To return to his high school where he was once a popular jock and work there as a janitor was a humbling experience for sure.
They lived in Mr. VV’s parents’ basement for 16 long months before their house in Illinois finally sold and they were able to move into their own house in Michigan.
16 months.
And, in the true style of our God, the house they moved into wasn’t just any old house. It happened to be the house next door to where Mr. VV grew up. Even though the sellers got higher offers, they were delighted to sell their house to the VanderVennen boy who grew up next door. God unfolds His plan in His perfect time, right when we need it.
It took 2 years before Mr. VV found a job in Michigan. Mrs. VV still has no idea how they paid for tuition during those two years, but somehow it happened. The job was perfect. It was just what he needed, and it gave him responsibility and freedom to do exactly what he wanted to do.
Two years.
Mrs. VanderVennen admits it took about three years before they really started to see God’s blessings pour in. It took three years of faith stretched thin, of wondering when God was going to hurry up, of living life a little uncertain. As she so wisely said, “We do not grow on the mountaintop. We stay and we linger and we soak it in, but that is not where our growth comes from.”
And now 9 years later, this experience is still living in Mrs. VanderVennen’s heart, and she knows it lives in the hearts of her children. She loves the community they’ve developed here and feels blessed by the friends she’s made here. Michigan is now home. All because they said yes.

I can honestly say God knew what He was doing when he brought the VanderVennens to Michigan. Both Hayley and her mom have been a huge blessing to me personally, and I know there’s countless other people out there who would say the same. I am grateful that they were brave enough to step out of the boat and follow God’s crazy plan, even though it challenged their family in new ways and took 3 years for the blessings of obedience to start pouring in.
Am I brave enough to say yes—no guarantees and no bargaining? Do I even listen to God enough in the first place to hear His voice leading me? Am I patient enough to wait on God until His plans unfold, years down the road? And after it’s all over, will I direct all praise, honor and glory back to Him as an act of worship?