Giving It All to God by Tandy Balson

In 2005 my husband and I were feeling very unsettled in our lives. We both had jobs we enjoyed, good friends and fulfilling volunteer roles. Perhaps our feelings had something to do with the fact that both of our children and our two grandchildren were in Calgary and we lived in Vancouver.

We prayed for a move or a change. It might be a physical move or just a change in attitude that we needed. A business opportunity came up that would put us only six hours away from our kids. The closer we got to making this move, the better the opportunity became and the less peace we had about it. Since we didn’t feel that God was telling us to go ahead, we decided to back away from it.

My husband heard about a job in the Calgary area and expressed his interest. As we prayed about this, everything came together quickly and easily. There was no doubt in our minds this was God’s plan for us. Our desire to be closer to our children and to play a bigger role in the lives of our grandchildren was about to be fulfilled. God confirmed for each of us that although the move would accomplish this desire, it was about much more.

A faith building legacy of relying on God for our plans was beginning. Our family saw us stand firm in our faith through difficult job situations and illness. When they went through trials, we could be there physically, lending support. They knew we were praying for them.

I found meaningful volunteer work where I knew I was making a difference in lives. Through this, I met someone who encouraged me to take the reflections I was writing and share them through a blog, which she named Time with Tandy. I knew this was something I didn’t have the skill to do on my own. When I gave my meager talents back to God, he took them and magnified them. Like the story of the loaves and fishes, he was able to do much more with my little offering than I could ever have imagined.

My family has heard me proclaim that the words I write do not come from me, they come through me. All thanks and praise goes back to God. This part of the legacy is showing my family what can be accomplished when you turn your life over to Jesus.

We now have seven grandchildren and our goal is to help them experience God’s love. Actions speak louder than words so this must be done by example. Neither family is currently attending church, so we have taken the opportunity to model for them what a life lived for Jesus looks like.

Our seven-year-old grandson recently saw me with my Bible and expressed interest in having one of his own. A few days later my husband and I stopped by their house and presented him with one. He was thrilled. The legacy of faith and relying on God is being passed on to future generations. We thank God for allowing us to play this vital role in the lives of our loved ones.

 You can find more of Tandy's writing by clicking on the following links:

http://www.timewithtandy.com
http://www.tandyb.com